Frosted Ferns (Old Version)
by SanctuaryInMusic
Summary: Jackie has been alone for 300 years, with nothing but her staff and Wind for company. Life had always been difficult, but she usually managed to get by. But when she gets "shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal" by North's yetis, she unwillingly joins up with the Guardians to stop Pitch and hopefully figure out just who she really is. FemJack. (SEE A/N IN CH. 14)
1. Cold Hands, Warm Heart

**A/N: (Edit: 1/5/16) **Oh, goodness, is it 2016 already? But hello, lovelies, I think I'll be editing these chapters as soon as possible because I'm a little embarrassed at the style of my writing a year ago. This chapter isn't currently updated yet, but I _promise _I'll be getting around to it soon. :)

* * *

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again."  
― Lewis Carroll, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland &amp; Through the Looking-Glass_

* * *

**Chapter One: Cold Hands, Warm Heart**

* * *

_Darkness. That's the first thing I remember. There was really no other feeling._

_It was dark . . . and it was cold . . . and I was scared._

_But then – then I saw the moon._

_It was so _big_ and so _bright_ – it was like it chased the darkness away._

A young girl broke the surface of the ice. Gasping for air, the girl's bright blue eyes widened as she glimpsed the light of the moon. Her form floated steadily in the moonbeam . . .

_And when it did, I wasn't scared anymore._

_. . . _before alighting gently on the frozen lake and refreezing the blemish on the ice.

_Why I was there and what I was meant to do, I've never known._

The girl examined her pale hands with wonder, before staring back up at the moon with a somber expression.

_And part of me wonders if I ever will. It makes me kind of sad, not knowing my place in this world._

She walked carefully on the ice, laughing softly to herself as she momentarily lost her balance. She gazed at her surroundings, and then tripped over a staff lying innocently on the ground. Eyeing the staff suspiciously, the girl poked it with her toe and quickly pulled her foot back when a thin layer of frost bloomed from the spot she touched. She leaned down and picked it up, a shocked expression forming on her face as the staff was covered in a thicker layer.

The tip of her staff nudged the frozen pond, and frost ferns laced the surface – making her shock morph into delight. With an experimental prod, frost slowly formed on the nearest tree. She ran her fingers over the design, her mouth open in awe. Her smile growing, she poked the tree next to it. Almost exploding with joy, she raced back to _her_ lake and swiped her staff over the ice, her laughter growing as she spun around. When she neared the lakebed, a sudden gust of wind blew her small body into the air.

"Whoa!"

Waving her arms and legs around in order to gain a semblance of balance in the air, she gazed at the rapidly-spreading frost on her lake with a smile. But then the wind ceased to support her, making the girl gracelessly tumble back to earth. She gripped a tree limb tightly, still winded from her fall. Once the shock wore off, she began laughing softly to herself.

Then her eyes narrowed in curiosity at some lights in the distance. She crouched on the branch and stared at the glow for a heartbeat – before once again summoning the wind to fly off in that direction.

The girl brought a flurry of snowflakes with the wind to the small, night-bathed town. She unceremoniously landed on the earthen ground (she _really_ needed to practice her flying), tripping over her brown cloak and staff. Though she wondered how no one noticed her less-than-perfect landing, she shrugged it off, choosing to explore the place that had caught her attention. Laughing happily, she waved at a woman passing by. The girl skipped over to another passerby, a man this time, saying hello. Her eyes flickered to a small brunette girl, who seemed to be pleading with someone, before deciding to greet others.

"Ma'am," she said in acknowledgement, dipping down in a surprisingly habitual curtsy. She then spotted a boy running in her direction. "Oh, uh, excuse me," she said with a polite smile, "could you tell me where I am?" She crouched down to better meet the boy's eyes, but then jerked up with a strangled gasp.

_The boy had run **through** her._

The girl was rooted to her position with shock. She yelped as two more people _passed through_ her, shuddering at the horrible empty feeling they had given her. She turned slowly around, realizing that none of the villagers had seen her, and that she was alone. The small girl she had seen earlier was gone, too.

"Hello?!" she called out again, but this time in desperation. She whirled around continuously, filled to the brim with pure anxiety.

_My name . . . is Jacqueline Frost. How do I know that? The moon told me so._

_But that was all he ever told me._

_And that was a long, _long_ time ago._

* * *

Five years had passed since Jackie was born.

She did explore most of the world (she remembered being delighted discovering a land of ice and snow at the bottom of the world), but she preferred to stay in Burgess, where her pond was. Jackie would never admit this, but the main reason she stayed by her lake was because of her regular visitor – the same brunette girl she glimpsed on the day of her birth.

The girl often made her way down the well-beaten path to the pond and talk to a "Jackie." Though Jackie knew that the Jackie Emma was talking about _wasn't her, _she would pretend.

Pretend that she was Emma's Jackie.

"Hi, Jackie," Emma would begin as she always did. "It's your birthday today. You would've been twenty-two. If you're an angel now, I hope you're here, listening."

"I'm not quite an angel," Jackie replied, smiling gently, "but I'm here for you." Jackie would always sit next to her and listen to the girl's problems, a silent and invisible listener.

Of course, Emma gave no sign that she heard the winter sprite.

"I didn't have enough money to buy you a present on your eighteenth birthday – to celebrate your coming of age – but I saved up for years to get you something really nice." Emma's warm, but sad brown eyes grew watery. "I wish that you were here to get it from me properly, though."

Jackie watched in curiosity as Emma pulled out a fine silver chain with a snowflake pendant.

"You _were_ born on the winter solstice, Jackie," Emma continued with a small laugh. "And as we grew older, your favorite season was always winter – though you loved when Easter came around. That was your favorite holiday. When I was younger, you would drag me around the fields, hoping to get a glimpse of the Easter Bunny."

Emma stood up and pulled her woolen cloak tighter around her skinny body. "I'll leave your present here for you, Jackie. I hope that you get it, wherever you are." She kissed the snowflake softly and carefully set the necklace down on the frozen earth. "I love you, Jackie!" Emma sobbed, the tears now falling freely down her face.

The girl quickly sprinted away, not knowing that a lonely winter child also lay crying next to the frozen lake, clutching a silver snowflake to her chest.

-oOo-

It had been fifty-five years since Jackie was born. Emma was now sixty-eight years old, and she was dying.

Jackie was sitting quietly next to the sleeping woman, watching the shaky rise and fall of her chest. She gave a start as Emma's brown eyes fluttered open, a hacking cough seizing her body. "I'm not young anymore, Jackie," she whispered in the darkness, "but at least I'm leaving behind a family. Jack's wife is expecting her third child, and I'm sad that I'll never get to meet my newest grandchild."

"I bet he or she will be beautiful," Jackie whispered, touching the silver snowflake around her neck.

Emma's head turned. She had a faraway expression on her wrinkled face. Her long brown hair had been steadily streaked with silver as she aged, but her eyes never changed. "Jackie," she said, smiling.

"You – you can see me?" The winter child hardly dared to hope.

But Emma simply closed her eyes, and Jackie felt numbed as the older woman's spirit passed on, and Jackie was left alone again.

* * *

It was 1968. Two-hundred-fifty-six years had passed since Jackie's birth (not that she was counting or anything), and she was lying on her lake, staring at the moon. It was full tonight – just like it was when she rose out of the lake.

"I still don't know why I'm here," Jackie whispered softly, half to herself and half to the shining white disc in the sky. "Will I ever know?"

This was one of the few occasions the mischievous winter child had her down moments. Jackie Frost often doubted herself, and the main reason she made trouble for the other spirits was to know that she still existed.

_Probably why Juliana doesn't like me much,_ Jackie mused, clutching her staff closer. After all, the spirit of summer _was_ Jackie's seasonal counterpart.

Jacob, or Jake, as Jackie liked to call him, tolerated Jackie well enough, but got a bit annoyed at the teen for the occasional snow showers. The autumn spirit _did_ put a lot of effort into painting the leaves, and sometimes let Jackie help when it was a busy season.

But Jasmine, the spirit of spring, was really the one who Jackie feared the most. Jackie never liked thinking about her.

Jackie curled up on the ice, trying to suppress a shudder and not think about murderous green eyes.

-oOo-

The next day was Easter Sunday.

Jackie had always liked the season, and cheerfully watched the kids scurry around joyfully and search for eggs. She had never met the famous Easter Bunny, but had caught glimpses of him setting down his hand-painted eggs for the children to find.

Today, Jackie was feeling brave enough to introduce herself. She would never admit this to anyone (though there was no one who would willingly talk to her), but she was rather shy at times. For years she had watched the Guardian of Hope on Easter, and she would usually help the kids find the eggs by blowing the wind in their direction.

The winter sprite flew around the town of Burgess, sending down a light snowfall for the kids to enjoy. They liked the challenge of searching of Easter eggs in the snow, and always had snowball fights after the hunts. The inhabitants of Burgess never gave a second thought to why there was an annual snowfall on Easter, but as long as no one got hurt – they didn't really care.

Jackie laughed exuberantly, her blue hood slipping off her head. Jackie's old clothes had been torn by an . . . unwelcome visit by Jasmine about a hundred years ago. Since then, she'd been wearing an oversized blue hoodie given to her by the yetis the last time she tried to break in Santoff Claussen.

_Oh, Phil . . ._ Jackie smiled at the thought of the yeti. Sure, he was big and scary-looking, but he was really a big softie on the inside. The times she attempted to bust in began to be like a game for the two of them – how long could Jackie go without being caught?

Jackie scanned the ground below, and smirked as she spotted the Easter Bunny sprinting around the bushes, a basket hanging on his arm. She saw some kids close by, and began to set down a light snowfall. Swooping down, Jackie yelled, "Come on, guys! This way!" Jackie, assisted by Wind and some snowflakes, led the children to where some eggs were hiding.

Jackie had never felt this happy in a long time. Though she knew that none of the kids could see her, she still felt proud that she could help them anyway. Pretty soon, that "light snow" that the winter sprite had meant to send down turned into something much larger – something that became more difficult to get a handle on.

The kids were long gone, already feeling the chill in the air.

Nevertheless, Jackie was panicking. "Stop! I didn't want _this_ much snow!" Her element refused to listen to her, and instead grew into a snowstorm. "Please!" Jackie flipped up her hood and closed her eyes, trying to suck the magic back into her core.

The effort exhausted the girl, though, and she passed out on the snow-covered grass, a small patch of green around her.

"Get up!"

Jackie jolted awake. She wasn't even aware that she had fallen asleep. Rubbing cloudy blue eyes, she yawned. "Hello?"

"Yeah, you! Get up, ya drongo!"

Jackie slowly stood up, her staff clutched tightly in her hands. Her hood was still up, only revealing bright blue eyes and a few strands of silvery-white hair. She squinted in the swirling snow, trying to see who was talking to her.

Annoyed green eyes stared back. For a split second, Jackie thought that it was Jasmine Breeze, here to yell at her, or – or worse. But the figure in front of Jackie was much, much taller than the spring spirit. The teen barely came up to his chest.

"Wow . . ." Jackie breathed. "You're the Easter Bunny."

"Damn right, Ah am!" seethed the Guardian of Hope. "Who are ya, and what're ya doin', spreadin' snow on _my_ holiday?"

Jackie's eyes widened. "Oh, um, I'm Jack Frost. I always do this in Burgess. I guess you weren't here when I've been –"

"Save it, Frost." he growled. "I don't want to ever see you on Easter again. Your 'fun' is makin' me lose believers."

Jackie stepped back, and held her staff closer. Her blue eyes were filled with hurt. "I'm – I'm sorry . . ."

"Get out."

Jackie's eyes welled with tears. She took a few more steps back until she turned around and sprinted away, calling Wind to bring her to Antarctica.

* * *

_44 years later . . ._

North's workshop was nestled in the snowy cliffs of the North Pole. Better known as Santoff Claussen, the building had been there for centuries, and it was the place where wonder was created.

The large man was currently carving prototypes for toys that he would have the yetis make. A large block of ice was on his table, and as he walked over to his shelf for more supplies, he called out, "Still waiting for cookies!"

A cluster of elves in the corner looked up guiltily, and scurried over to North with a tray of partially licked treats. Music was playing in the background, and the Guardian of Wonder was merrily singing along as he carved minute details into the block of ice.

When North finished, he gently blew the excess ice off the train prototype and set it down on a track. He watched with joy as the train moved around and began to take to the air. Reaching down to pluck a cookie from the tray, he popped it in his mouth, saying, "Finally!"

North sang exuberantly, watching in pride as the small ice train flew around his workshop before –

_CRASH._

_"_Galgaburga!"

"AHH!" North yelled, gesturing wildly to the smashed prototype.

The yeti who barged in yelled back, holding its furry hands to its equally furry face.

"How many times have I told you to _KNOCK?_" North bellowed with anger.

The yeti simply flung its arms in a random direction, babbling.

North's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What? The Globe?" The Globe of Believers was what told the Guardians how many children believed in them, and if _that_ was threatened . . .

The Russian pulled out his sword and quickly made his way toward the Globe Room. He impatiently stormed his way through the elves milling about, saying, "Shoo, shoo with your pointy heads. Why are you always under boot?"

He stood in front of the Globe, watching in horror as large groups of believers began to swiftly disappear. "What is this . . .?" Looking closer, he told the yetis, "Check the axis. Is rotation off?"

But then a shadow of black sand began to ominously swirl around the Globe, and took the form of someone North thought he'd never see again. "Can it be?" Narrowing his eyes, North proclaimed, "Dingle, make preparations. We are going to have company."

North grasped a handle, twisted, and pressed down. Iridescent lights began glowing on the Globe and spiraled upwards. The Northern Lights then expanded in the sky and spread in five directions, calling the rest of the Guardians.

* * *

Toothiana, or Tooth as she was known to her fellow Guardians, was busy chattering instructions to her little helpers when the Lights appeared in the sky.

"Eighteen central incisors. Moscow, sector nine. Twenty-two incisors, eighteen premolars." The Tooth Fairy's mind was always on hyper-drive, quickly sensing whenever a child put a tooth under their pillow. She was also one of the busiest Guardians, working every day, 24/7, like Sandy.

Turning to another group of her "daughters," as Tooth affectionately called them, she relayed, "Uh, oh, heavy rain advisory." Rain always made it hard for her helpers to fly. It made their wings too wet, and they had to wait hours before taking off again. But she did admire their determination. Some of her fairies had learned to dodge the falling drops. "Des Moines, we've got a cusped at 23 Maple. Head out!"

Gently taking a small tooth from one of her fairies, she squealed, "Wait! It's her first tooth. Have you ever seen a more _adorable_ lateral incisor in all of your life? Look how she flossed!" She looked around at the rest of her fairies joyfully, her feathers puffing out in excitement.

Some of her daughters then chirped in her ear, drawing her attention to the sky. Tooth gasped, then took off to the North Pole, a small group of her fairies flying after her.

_My fellow Guardians, it is our job to watch over the children of the world . . ._

Golden sand swirled gently around the young boy's head, and created a pleasant dream of playing soccer.

_. . . and keep them safe. To bring them wonder, hopes, and dreams. So I have called all of you here for one reason and one reason only._

Sandy stood on his golden cloud of dream sand, watching shining tendrils float to the homes of children and give them dreams. He twirled around, shooting the sand in various directions. Then the Sandman stared in bewilderment as he glimpsed the Northern Lights shining brightly in the night sky.

_The children are in danger._

With a determined look, Sandy lifted his hands up, transforming his sand cloud into a golden plane. Adjusting his goggles, he drove the vehicle up north.

_An enemy we have kept at bay for centuries has finally decided to strike back._

A gray blur shot through the tunnels, quickly making his way to the North Pole.

_We alone can stop him._

Long gray ears poked out of the tunnel opening, and E. Aster Bunnymund heroically leaped out . . . before curling in on himself and grumbling, "Oh, it's freezin'!" Groaning, the Easter Bunny sprinted through the snow, squeaking, "Oh, I can't feel my feet! I can't feel my feet!"

In the workshop, North was offering an irate Bunnymund cookies and eggnog while Sandy flew around the Globe.

"This better be good, North," the rabbit warned.

Ignoring the Pooka, North spread his arms and said, "Sandy, thank you for coming." Sandy made a symbol above his head, and North responded, "I know, I know, but I wouldn't have called you all here unless it was _serious._"

Behind them, the ever vigilant Tooth Fairy was still giving her helpers directions. But at hearing North speak, she whispered, "Shh."

Having his audience's attention, North finally burst out with his news. "The Boogeyman was _here!_ At the Pole!" He pointed at the floor for emphasis.

Tooth nervously hovered around. "Pitch? Pitch Black? _Here?"_

North walked forward. "Yes." Making gestures to go along with his words, North continued, "There was black sand covering the Globe."

Bunny leaped up next to North, a half-painted egg in one paw and a paintbrush in the other. "What – what do ya mean, 'black sand'?"

"And then a shadow!" exclaimed North, as if Bunny had never spoken at all.

"Hold on, hold on," Bunny interrupted in a disbelieving tone, "I thought you said you saw Pitch."

"Well, uh, not exactly," the Russian said, scratching his head sheepishly.

Bunny's expression became skeptical. "'Not exactly'? Can you believe this guy?"

Sandy shrugged, a golden question mark forming above his head.

Bunny snorted. "Yeah. You said it, Sandy."

"Look," North said, trying to get back the spotlight, "he is up to something very bad. I can feel it . . . in my belly!" He grabbed his stomach for effect, and Tooth's group of fairies flew down to inspect it.

Bunnymund was incredulous. "Wait, wait, wait. You say you've summoned me here_ three days before Easter, _because of your _belly?" _He stuck his tip of his paintbrush in North's face accusingly."Mate, if Ah did this to ya three days before Christmas –"

"Ah, but Bunny, Easter is not Christmas," North said, plucking the egg from the Pooka's paw.

"North, I don't have time for this!" Bunny said, frustrated. "I've still got _two million _eggs to finish up!"

Sandy, however, had noticed something the arguing Guardians didn't. The full moon was shining from the skylight, sending down a moonbeam.

"No matter how much you paint, is still egg," North chuckled.

Grabbing the egg back, Bunny shot back, "Look mate, I'm dealing with perishables! You've got all year to prepare!"

Trying to get his friends' attention, Sandy frantically gestured up to the sky.

"Why are rabbits always so nervous?" North commented, tapping the egg.

Bunny scowled. "Why are _you_ always such a blowhard?"

Sandy made a golden sand flag above his head, still trying to get the Guardians' attention. Nothing seemed to work whenever North and Bunny started their arguing about who's holiday's better.

". . . sector nine. Five canines, two molars, and fourteen incisors. Is that all in one house?" Tooth exclaimed to her fairies.

"Tooth!" North cut in. "Can't you see that we're trying to argue here?"

"Sorry!" Tooth said sarcastically, bringing her hands up. "Not all of us get to work one night a year. Am I right, Sandy?"

Sandy nodded eagerly, a golden arrow pointing up to the moon.

Tooth's face took on a look of realization before giving her fairies more instructions. "San Diego, sector 2 . . ."

Bunnymund shrugged. "Come on, mate. Pitch went out with the Dark Ages. We made sure he did."

"I know he was here," North insisted. "We are in very serious situation."

"Well, _I've_ got a serious situation with some _eggs._"

Sandy was scowling now. The short golden man then picked up an elf, and shook it around, the ringing bell attracting the Guardians' attention. Dropping the elf, Sandy made a moon symbol above his head, and then pointed to the sky.

"Ah!" North exclaimed, looking in the sky. "Man in Moon! Sandy, why didn't you say something?"

The Guardian of Dreams was annoyed. He scowled harder, and sand blew out of his ears in frustration. It was at times like this he hated being silent all the time.

North continued his conversation with the moon. "It's been a long time, old friend! What is big news?"

Man in the Moon sent down a huge, glowing moonbeam down onto the symbols of the Guardians. A shadow formed into the figure of Pitch Black himself.

"It _is_ Pitch," Bunny said, looking at North.

In response, North patted his belly with a smug look. _Told you so._ Looking back up, North said, "Manny, what must we do?"

The moonbeam's glow seemed to strengthen. It shifted to the center of the symbols, and the Guardian's Crystal was lifted from the ground. The light hit the crystal, and the light refracted in various directions.

"Uh, guys, do you know what this means?" Tooth asked with barely concealed excitement.

"He's choosing a new Guardian . . ." North said, eyes widening.

"What? Why?" Bunny asked, surprised.

The refracted light began shimmering on the floor. "Must be big deal," North murmured. "Manny thinks we need help."

"Since when do _we _need help?" Bunny asked, his annoyance clearly showing.

"I wonder who it's gonna be!" Tooth said, enthusiastic. "Maybe the Leprechaun?" she suggested, after seeing Sandy make a four-leaf clover symbol above his head.

"Please not the Groundhog, please not the Groundhog," Bunny chanted under his breath.

The magic above the crystal was slowly forming into MiM's choice, until a teenager with a hoodie and a shepherd's crook appeared.

"Jack Frost," North said, a surprised expression on his face.

The fairies present sighed and swooned in the air.

"I take it back," Bunny said quickly. "The Groundhog's fine." He still hadn't forgotten the Blizzard of '68, and that boy who caused it.

Tooth had a dreamy expression on her face, but then jumped in the air and said, "Well, um, as long as he helps to – to, uh, protect the children. Right?" She looked at her fairies for confirmation.

"_Jack Frost?"_ Bunny exploded. "He doesn't care about children! All he does is freeze water pipes and mess with my egg hunts!" Well, he didn't really know if the kid froze water pipes, but the egg hunts . . . "All right? He's an irresponsible, selfish –"

"Guardian," North said, staring the figure with a contemplating expression.

"Jack Frost is many things," Bunny ranted, "but he is _not_ a Guardian!"

* * *

Ice, seemingly appearing from nowhere, quickly spread around the streets and sidewalks. It made one boy's tongue stick to the water fountain, and froze a goldfish in its bowl. It was Jackie Frost, doing her thing. The trail of ice led around the city – along the sides of buildings, over clotheslines . . . until it stopped at a laughing young girl with white hair and blue eyes hanging off a spire.

"Now _that _was fun," she proclaimed. "Hey, Wind! Take me home!" Jackie whooped with joy as she soared through the clouds, snowflakes swirling around her.

Above the town of Burgess, Jackie yelled, "Snow day!" She swooped down to Main Street, laughing and icing everything she came in contact with. Jackie flew up, standing on her staff like a surfboard, enjoying the ride all the way. She would never get over how amazing the power of flight was. "Yeah!"

She skated around the pond, her balance a lot better compared to three hundred years ago. Jackie slipped by Jamie Bennett, Wind plucking the book he was holding out of his hands.

"Whoa! Whoa!" he yelled, trying to grasp back the book. It landed on the ground, its cover bearing the title _Mysterious Times: They're Out There!_

Jackie stopped for a moment to look over the cover. "Oh, that looks interesting," she commented. "Good book?" Jackie knew that Jamie had a thing for fantasy, and that he believed in all the Guardians. But that made it hurt more because he couldn't see her.

Jamie rushed over and picked up his book, dusting it off. Claude and Caleb then ran by, cheering, "Snow day!" Caleb nudged the brunette, making him grin.

Jackie did a mock-bow. "You're welcome!" she called.

Jamie hurried after the twins. "Hey guys, wait up! Are you guys coming to the egg hunt Sunday?"

"Yeah," Claude said. "Free candy!"

The friends began making their way down the trail and to Jamie's house. "I hope we can find all the eggs with all this snow!" Caleb replied.

Jamie had his nose in his book again. "It says here that they found Bigfoot hair samples and DNA _in Michigan!_ That's like, super-close!" he said, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Here we go again . . ."

Jackie was walking on the Bennetts' fence, her staff resting on her shoulder.

"You saw the video too, Claude," Jamie insisted. "He's out there."

"That's what you said about _aliens_," the boy replied, shoving his twin playfully.

"And the Easter Bunny," Caleb added.

"The Easter Bunny _is _real," Jamie said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, he's real, all right," Jackie remarked, a slightly bitter undertone to her voice. "Real annoying, real grumpy, and _really _full of himself."

"Come on, you guys will believe anything," Caleb scoffed.

"Easter Bunny!" Sophie, Jamie's little sister announced happily. "Hop, hop, hop!" She jumped down the steps, but Abbey, the dog, knocked her over. "Ow!"

"Mom," Jamie sighed, "Sophie fell again." It was a regular occurrence at the Bennett household.

"You okay, Soph?" Mrs. Bennett asked, leaning down to comfort her youngest. "Jamie, hat," she continued, walking after her son. "We don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."

"Who's Jack Frost?" Jamie said skeptically, pushing up his hat out of his eyes.

"No one, honey," his mother responded, walking back. "It's just an expression."

Jackie, who had been listening on the fence, scowled. "Hey!" She leaped gracefully down from the fence and scooped up a pile of snow. Being a winter sprite, her season never bothered her. "'Who's Jack Frost?'" she repeated, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face. "I think it's more 'Who's _Jacqueline _Frost.'"

Jackie formed her snowball and blew on it, infusing the snow with her magic. Carefully aiming, she threw it, the snowball hitting Jamie square in the back. "Perfect."

A fine mist of blue magic sprayed in front of his eyes. "Okay," Jamie demanded, grinning, "who threw that?"

Jackie flew over, saying, "Well, it wasn't Bigfoot, kiddo."

Receiving no response, Jamie chose to throw snowballs at Monty, who landed face-first in the snow, and at Pippa, who landed on her bottom. "Jamie Bennett, no fair!" she yelled, looking at him angrily.

"You struck first!" he defended, laughing.

The twins were then hit by Jackie, who yelled, "Free-for-all!" The rest of the kids eagerly began their snowball fight, Jamie using his sled as a makeshift shield. Nevertheless, the boy was still hit a few times.

"All right, who needs ammo?" Jackie shouted, using her staff to quickly form snowballs. The kids never figured out how snowballs suddenly appeared on the ground, but they shrugged it off, assuming that some of their friends had made them.

In her excitement, Pippa didn't aim for anyone with her snowball, but just threw it randomly. As a result, the slushy ball of snow hit Cupcake in the back of the head. The larger girl slowly turned around, growling.

"Crud," Pippa whispered fearfully, "I hit Cupcake."

Monty pointed immediately at Pippa. "She hit Cupcake."

Claude cringed, his voice raising an octave. "You hit _Cupcake?_"

Jamie attempted to hide under his sled, shrinking when the girl came close.

Cupcake was furious. Her face was a picture of pure rage, her hands shaking –

_SPLAT._

"Oh . . ."

"Did you throw that?"

"Nope, wasn't me!"

The kids began quickly denying it, trying to pin the blame on at least _someone._

Jackie was balanced on the curve of her staff, a grin on her face. Her body language proving that, in fact, it was _she_ who had thrown the snowball.

Not that anyone could see her, though.

The magic that had affected Jamie prior was now affecting Cupcake. She let out a short burst of laughter, and then erupted into a laughing fit. She began chasing the rest of the kids playfully, who were running away to avoid being tagged.

Jamie, who was at the head of the line, slipped on a patch of ice created by Jackie. "Ooh, a little slippery!" Jackie said.

Jamie then soared over a snowbank and landed in the road. His friends were shouting worried cries, but the boy had no control over where he was going.

Jackie was a bit worried as well. She didn't mean for Jamie to land in the road, just around the field once or twice. But she knew she couldn't let the boy get hurt. _And maybe I'll finally gain a believer,_she thought hopefully.

She curved the ice so Jamie wouldn't get hit by any cars, saying, "Don't worry, Jamie, I gotcha!" Jackie wanted to get Jamie out of the road as soon as possible. "Hold on, it's gonna be all right!" She led Jamie over a dirt hill, and then to the sidewalk.

"Hold up! No, no, no, no!" Jamie screamed.

"There you go," Jackie sighed in relief, as she spotted a way back to the snowy field.

Jamie began laughing, as the traffic, trouble and fear was left behind. There were no more cars in the way, so Jamie could enjoy the ride better.

"Uh, oh," Jackie murmured, as a plow came into view. She made a ramp to shoot Jamie into the air, and he screamed in exhilaration as he soared on his sled. He landed in a fluffy snowbank, and feebly stirred before jumping up and yelling how amazing the sled ride was.

As the adrenaline faded from her body, Jackie realized how fun that actually was. _Maybe Jamie will realize exactly _how_ he managed that sled ride,_ she thought.

"Did you guys see that?" he asked his concerned friends. "It was amazing! I did a jump, and then I slid under a –" But Jamie never got to finish his sentence as the couch from the earlier furniture truck slammed into him.

Jackie cringed. "Whoops."

"Oh . . ." came the sympathetic murmur.

Jamie's hand shot up from behind the pink couch, triumphantly holding up a small, white object. "Cool, a tooth!" he said, standing up.

"Oh, dude, that means cash!"

"Tooth Fairy cash!"

"Oh, no . . ." Jackie sighed. Now any explanation of the freak sledding ride would be wiped away by Jamie's excitement for the Tooth Fairy. Or at least, her fairies.

"Oh, you lucky bum!"

"I gotta put this under my pillow!" Jamie said, holding it protectively.

"Oh, wait a minute," Jackie called desperately. "Come on. Hold on, hold on." Moving closer, she continued, "What about all the fun we just had? That wasn't the Tooth Fairy – that was me!" She flew in front of the group. "What's a girl gotta do to get some attention around here?"

But when Jamie walked through her . . . she gasped, already feeling the empty feeling inside.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this! As you have seen, I've made Jack a girl. I've read so many fics like this, and I thought I'd try my hand at one of these.

_Frosted Ferns _is basically going to follow the same plot as _Rise of the Guardians, _but with some changes that I can hopefully make. I'm going to try to put some more "bonding" moments between Jackie and the Guardians, and maybe give them a backstory. I feel like their relationship was just so rushed during the movie, but it was still pretty sweet.

Leave any comments in the review bin down there, and I'll see ya soon!


	2. Revelation

Thanks so much to **Baylee1100**, **Dreamer558750**, **NeonNerd6596**, **PerfectlyStrange**, **RiverWinchester**, **TheNumber1HeroAmerica**, **iamgoku**,and **shaneEgirlo **for the favorites!

To **Boo4Moo**, **DayLightDove**, **Dreamer558750**, **Fantasy-Mania31**, **Lacus01**, **SpilledInkStains**, **TheNumber1HeroAmerica**, **White Hunter**, and **iamgoku** for following!

And for being kind to leave me reviews: **Guest**, **shaneEgirlo**, **Dreamer558750**, and **White Hunter**.

Last but not least, ERMAHGERD, I'm in a community! Thank you to **Shamira the Guardian** (I think) for adding _Frosted Ferns._

Now please, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two: Revelation**

* * *

"Are the days of winter sunshine just as sad for you, too? When it is misty, in the evenings, and I am out walking by myself, it seems to me that the rain is falling through my heart and causing it to crumble into ruins."  
― Gustave Flaubert

* * *

Jackie sat quietly on a boulder – one of the few that circled her lake. Her legs were crossed, and her wooden staff lay on her lap. Her hands were absolutely still, and her blue hood was up.

If anyone could see the winter sprite (and actually knew the girl's mannerisms), they would immediately know something was wrong. Jackie was almost _never _still, and if that was combined with her hood – even worse.

"I can't believe it . . ." Jackie sighed. The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon, and she could almost see the moon. "Could this day get any worse?"

Her heart was aching – aching for love. She had been alone for so long with no one to care for her, and had only really experienced cruelty at the spirits that _could _see her.

When the pond was bathed in darkness, Jackie called for Wind and flew off to see Jamie. Peering into Jamie's room, upside-down, she watched the little boy jump around his room excitedly.

"It was awesome!" Jamie cheered enthusiastically. "So then I was flying down this hill, and it was like _whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, _through these cars . . ."

So Jamie was recounting his sledding adventure to Sophie. Huh. Well, he _did _tell Sophie practically everything that happened every day. Jackie thought it was kinda sweet how devoted and caring the boy was to his sister.

". . . and then the sled hit this thing, and then – then it was like, _way_ up in the air, and then _BAM! _The sofa hit me."

"Wow," Sophie breathed, staring at her brother with awe.

"And see, my tooth came out!" Jamie's last words were a bit muffled, due to the fact that he had stuck his finger in his mouth to show Sophie the gap between his teeth.

Sophie giggled.

"All right, you," his mother said, already finished straightening up her son's room. "Tooth under your pillow?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," Jamie said determinedly, examining the flashlight next to his bed.

"Now, don't stay up trying to see her," his mother warned. "Or she won't come."

"But I can do it this time!" he insisted. Turning to his sister, Jamie asked, "You wanna help me, Soph? We can hide and see the Tooth Fairy!"

"Hide, hide, hide, hide, hide," Sophie agreed, before she was swept up into her mother's arms.

"Uh-uh," Mrs. Bennett tutted. "Straight to bed now, mister."

That statement was met with a groan from the ten-year-old. "_Mom."_

Jackie watched the family moment sadly, feeling somewhat bittersweet. It was the perfect family . . . yet it was something that the winter sprite could never have or be a part of. As a result of her fluctuating emotions, frost designs began to bloom on Jamie's window. Jackie glared at the offending ice. Why could _they _be seen . . . but not _her?_

Jackie flipped right-side-up and slowly walked across the Bennett's roof. A look of self-loathing was on her face. "If there's something I'm doing wrong," she whispered into the silent darkness, "can you just tell me what it is?" The girl turned and leaned on her staff, giving the Man in the Moon a pleading gaze. "Because I've tried _everything_," Jackie continued, "and no one ever sees me!"

She glared at the white disc in the sky. "You put me here," she said, her voice breaking. "The _least_ you could do is tell me _why_." She kept looking, staring, _hoping_ – hoping for an answer.

When no response came, the winter sprite turned away, feeling defeated. She flew off the roof and landed on nearby electrical wires, her feet freezing the areas she touched. She dejectedly (and somewhat vindictively, though she would never admit it) tapped a neighboring wire with her staff, swiping it forward to elongate the frost.

The night sky was then lit up with glowing strands of golden sand. Jackie gazed in wonder at the sight and pulled off her hood to get a better view. "Right on time, Sandman," she murmured, running along the wire. Jackie jumped up and ran her fingers through the dreamsand, laughing as a golden dolphin appeared. The dream animal flipped in the air and chittered playfully to the girl before becoming sand once again.

Meanwhile, Cupcake was contentedly dreaming away. She subconsciously hugged her stuffed toy closer and snuggled deeper into her blankets, smiling in her sleep.

She used to be someone Jamie and his friends feared, but after they began playing earlier that day – they realized that Cupcake was actually really sweet and kind under that tough demeanor, and that she absolutely adored unicorns.

But in the warm, pastel-pink room, the shadows began to grow – revealing a tall man with malevolent golden eyes, gray skin, and a sinister grin. "Oh, I thought I heard the _clippity-clop_ of a unicorn," the man said, a slight British accent in his speech. "What an _adorable_ dream! And look at _her_, precious child. So sweet, and full of _hope_ and _wonder,_" he said with a scathing tone. "But why, there's only one thing missing – a touch of _fear._"

The man laughed maliciously as he poked the golden dream with his finger, corrupting it . . . and turning it _pitch black._

Cupcake whimpered, her pleasant dream being transformed into something more sinister.

"That never gets old," Pitch said, sighing. He cradled the nightmare sand close, willing it to take shape. "Feel your fear. Come on. Come on, that's right. Yes, what a pretty little Nightmare," he said, grasping the onyx horse. "Now," he commanded, "I want you to go tell the others that the wait is over!"

The Nightmare shot out of the window and flew into the night, whinnying as it went.

Pitch Black was then outside, a wicked smirk on his face. "Now, don't look at me like _that, _old friend," he said to the Man in the Moon, not unlike a certain winter sprite ten minutes prior. Pitch watched the black sand and Nightmares stream over the moon with satisfaction. "You knew this day would come. My Nightmares are finally ready."

And after a beat –

"Are your Guardians?"

* * *

Jackie was still standing on the wires, watching wistfully as the golden dreamsand began to fade away. As she was about to take another step forward, a dark blur shot in front of her.

"Whoa!" she yelped, almost losing her balance. Staring in the direction the blur had gone, Jackie hesitated for a moment before shooting after it. She landed on a tree branch, her blue eyes squinted as she tried to catch another glimpse at whatever had tripped her. The wind began to blow in a certain direction, so Jackie went that way, somehow managing to set off a car alarm.

Weird. So inanimate objects could feel her, but unbelievers _can't?_ Ugh, the injustice of it all!

She leapt over rooftops before settling down in an alleyway. Staff raised in defense , Jackie moved forward, eyeing her surroundings for anything that moved.

"Hello, mate."

Jackie froze. Oh, no. No, no, no. It _couldn't_ be him. Quickly flipping her hood up, she whipped around and spotted a tall figure casually flicking around a boomerang.

"Been a long time," Bunnymund continued. "Blizzard of '68, Ah believe."

Neither of them could forget that day – both for different reasons.

"Easter Sunday, wasn't it?" Bunny said, pointing his boomerang at the winter sprite.

"Bunny!" Jackie said playfully. In truth, she was actually scared out of her mind, but she hoped that she successfully covered it up. "You're not still mad about that, are you?" She avoided meeting his eyes, lest he figure out her fear.

"Yes," he said shortly. "But this is about something else," he went on, examining his boomerang. A pause. "Fellas?"

Jackie's eyes narrowed. Who . . . ?

Then her eyes widened as quickly as they narrowed. "Hey! Put me down!" she yelled, as she was lifted up in the air by two pairs of furry arms. She twisted in their grasp, her hood slipping off in the struggle. Her protests were cut short, though, when they shoved her in a sack.

* * *

Bunny watched with amusement as the pesky spirit of winter was lifted bodily by the yetis and hurled in the bag. One of the yetis shook a snow globe portal and threw it on the ground, where it burst into a swirl of light. It looked at Bunnymund and gestured to the portal, clearly asking whether the Pooka would come along.

"Me?" Bunny chuckled. "Not on yer nelly. See ya back at the Pole." The Guardian of Hope then tapped his foot twice on the asphalt, making a hole appear in the ground. He jumped into the tunnels, a much, _much _better form of transportation than portals, and _definitely_ the sleigh.

He smirked as he shot through the tunnels, thinking of how irritated Jack Frost would be during _his_ travels. _Not happy,_ Bunny mused.

* * *

Jackie was terrified. She yelled and fought continuously during her time in the dark sack, an unknown memory flitting across her mind. Jackie felt a momentary feeling of weightlessness, but then a hard landing, her bones feeling jarred.

She lifted her head, disoriented, as two pairs of clueless (but excited) brown eyes peered at her from the top of the bag.

"Hey! There he is!" Looking around for the source of the voice, Jackie spotted a large man with a white beard looking eagerly at her. "Jack Frost!"

Jackie was now half-way out of the red bag. "Wow . . ." she said, gazing around the room. "You gotta be kidding me. Hey, hey, put me down," she demanded of the yetis that had suddenly picked her up. Jackie stretched her limbs, a nagging thought at the back of her mind.

"I hope the yetis treated you well," North said.

Jackie flipped up her staff with her foot and caught it in her hands. "Oh, yeah, I _love_ being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, good!" North replied, smiling. "Dat vas my idea."

Jackie blinked. Did the guy not understand sarcasm? The nagging thought was now itching at her. What was it?

"_There he is!"_

Oh . . . North had referred to her as a "he."

Did the people of the spiritual realm really think that Jackie was a _guy?_

"You know Bunny, obviously," North said, looking at the overgrown rabbit.

"Obviously," Jackie repeated, glaring in Bunnymund's direction.

"And the Tooth Fairy!"

Jackie barely had time to see the woman before she flitted up into Jackie's face. "Hello, Jack," she chirped. "I've heard a lot about you, and your _teeth!"_

Jackie was rattled. "Uh, my _what?_" The feathered woman was a _biiit_ too close for the winter sprite to feel comfortable.

"Open up!" Tooth demanded. "Are they really as white as they say?" Jackie barely had time to answer before her mouth was pried open by a pair of surprisingly strong hands. Gasping, the Tooth Fairy let go and said, "Yes! Oh . . . they really _do_ sparkle like freshly fallen snow!"

"'Anks?" Jackie tried to say.

A couple of the mini-fairies began twittering in adoration.

"And Sandman," North finished. No response. "Sandy? Sandy? Sandy, _WAKE UP!"_

The small golden man awoke with a sleepy smile.

"Hey," Jackie then cut in, "anyone wanna tell me why I'm here? You're like, '_the Big Four!' _and you're not exactly making the greatest first impression on me."

Sandy raised a finger and began making a whirl of sand images above his head. Jackie squinted in confusion as she tried to figure put the complex movements. A moon, a snowflake, a . . . a man? "That's not really helping," Jackie said, "but thanks, little man."

Turning on her bare heel, Jackie said, "I must've done something _really_ bad to get you four together." Casually freezing a passing elf, she said innocently, "Am I on the naughty list?"

"On naughty list?" North chuckled. "You hold the record. But no matter, we overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate," he said, brushing off the tattoo that said _NAUGHTY._

_Well, _that _was nice to know,_ Jackie pondered. _Guess all the trouble I've caused shot me straight up the list. _But there was still something bothering her. "How come?" she asked suspiciously.

"Good question," Bunny muttered.

"How come?" North said loudly. "I tell you how come! Because now, you are _Guardian!"_ The bearded man raised up both his arms and the yetis behind him raised up torches.

Oh, no. Guardian? _Her?_ Uh, no. No way. Jackie began to back slowly away. She was beginning to feel too suffocated here.

The elves played a triumphant tune on their trumpets. It was too loud, too many people around her . . . ! Tooth's mini-fairies brought forward a flower necklace, making Jackie reach up to her throat protectively. The gift Emma gave her two-hundred-twenty-five years ago was irreplaceable.

"What are you doing?" Jackie tried to avoid the offending piece of jewelry, but stumbled into a yeti, who held her tight. "Get off me!"

Being held was such a foreign concept to her. Wind was different, though. Her comforting, cool embrace reminded Jackie that she was still there. But Wind still couldn't compare to an actual, real live person's embrace . . . though it was an abominable snowman holding her.

"This is the best part!" North bellowed cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the winter child's terror.

The flames from the torches were swinging much too close for comfort. Jackie swerved her way around them, because _fire + winter being = danger. _The yetis pushed the girl back into the circle, where an elf pointed to a pair of blue shoes with a bell on the tip.

Jackie wanted to scream. These people – these _strangers!_ – were invading too much of her space, shattering her ideals, and she released all that pent-up energy in a blast of ice from her staff.

The music stopped abruptly, and the Guardians were staring at Jackie with flabbergasted expressions. "What makes you think I wanna be a Guardian?" she demanded. "You guys barely know me – in fact, you don't know me at all! You don't even –" _Know that I'm a girl,_ Jackie finished sadly in her head.

North began laughing loudly, looking at the other three Guardians as if he was encouraging them to laugh as well. "Of course you do!" North said, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Music!"

"No music!" Jackie said, shooting the idea down immediately. "This is _all_ very flattering," she drawled, "but, ah . . . you don't want me. Just admit it! Why wait three hundred years before contacting me?"

Jackie meandered over to a table and leaped up on top of it. "Besides," she said, "you're all '_hard work and deadlines!'_ and I'm . . . snowballs and fun times." She dropped and sat down, wrapping her legs around her staff. "I'm not a Guardian."

"Yeah, that's exactly what Ah said!" Bunny said, looking at North pointedly.

"Jack," Tooth said gently, fluttering over to the winter sprite, "I don't think you understand what it is we do." Jackie flinched and leaned slightly away from the feathered woman's touch, but the Tooth Fairy didn't seem to notice. Flying up higher to the Globe, Tooth said, "Each one of those lights is a child."

"A child who believes," North continued. "And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them."

Jackie tried to respond, "Then where were _you_ four when I was younger?" but Tooth was examining her teeth again, so it sounded somewhat like unintelligible gibberish.

"Tooth!" North reprimanded. "Fingers out of mouth."

The fairy in question smiled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry. They're beautiful," she said, laying a hand on Jackie's shoulder.

"Okay, no more wishy-washy," North commanded, pacing. "Pitch is out there, doing who know what!"

Jackie had to stifle a laugh. "You – you mean the _Boogeyman?_"

"Yes!" came the serious response from North. "When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well." North pointed at the Globe – or more accurately, the pinpricks of light.

Jackie was having no more of this. "All the more reason to pick someone more qualified!" she snapped, refusing to face them. She knew it was childish, but . . . damn it, she was a kid too!

"Pick?" North asked, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You think _we_ pick? No, you were _chosen._ Like we were _all_ chosen, by Man in Moon."

Jackie froze. "What?" She turned to look at them, a disbelieving expression on her face.

"Last night, Jack," Tooth chipped in softly, "he chose _you._"

"Maybe," Bunnymund mumbled, arms crossed.

Choosing to ignore the previous statement said by a certain rabbit, Jackie said, "Man in the Moon . . . he _talks_ to you?" And after the thousands of fruitless attempts to get a simple response out the guy . . .

"You see, you cannot say no," North said, his voice quieter. "It is destiny."

"But – but why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jackie ran a hand through her hair, stopping when she reached her shoulders. "After _three hundred years, this is his answer? _To spend _eternity_ like you guys, cooped up in some – some _hideout_ thinking of new ways to _bribe_ kids? No, no,_" _she concluded. "That's not for me!" she yelled at the sky, before glancing back at the Guardians and saying, "No offense."

Bunnymund raised an eyebrow. "How – how is that not offensive?" he demanded, walking closer to Jackie, though she was already walking away again. "You know," he said, chuckling, "I think we just dodged a bullet, here! I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?"

Jackie stopped. "Ya ever hear of a 'snow day'?" she asked, turning around. "I know it's no hard-boiled egg," she said sarcastically, "but kids _like_ what I do."

"But none of them _believe _in you," Bunnymund said, a dangerous tone in his voice. The Pooka straightened up to his full height – a good foot-and-a-half above the girl. "You see, you're _invisible_, mate. It's like you _don't even exist._"

Jackie glared hard at the Guardian of Hope, trying to fight back the tears welling in her eyes. Tooth seemed to notice though, and stated firmly, "Bunny! Enough."

Discreetly wiping away the moisture in her eyes with her sleeve, Jackie said, almost sounding bored, "No, the kangaroo's right."

"The _what?_ Ah'm _not_ a kangaroo, mate," Bunnymund said, his green eyes hard.

"Oh, and this whole time I thought you were," Jackie shot back, still feeling hurt from the Pooka's previous words. "If you're not a kangaroo, what _are _you?" She leaned in challengingly.

"Ah'm a _bunny,_" he said, accepting the challenge. "The _Easter_ Bunny. People _believe_ in me."

Jackie refused to break eye contact, even though her vision was getting strangely foggy again. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she saw the Sandman nervously tap North's leg.

"Jack," the Cossack said abruptly, "walk with me."

* * *

"Bunny," Tooth scolded, "that was too much, even for you!" The violet-eyed fairy was staring reproachfully at him.

"The little bugger was askin' for it," he defended. "Like Ah said earlier, he's irresponsible and selfish. What was MiM thinkin'?"

Sandy made a flurry of snowflakes, and then a clock turning counter-clockwise.

Tooth sighed. "Sandy's right, you know. You can't let one little action from long ago cloud your judgment of Jack."

Bunny scowled. "I was close to losing believers that day! That boy's nothing but trouble."

Tooth's warm eyes became icy, her persona slipping into the warrior queen that she was. "Just try, Aster. Maybe you'll get to know him better."

Bunny became thoughtful when he heard her call him "Aster." Tooth almost _never_ called Bunny by his real name . . . "Fine," he grumbled, "I'll try to be nicer to the bloke."

Tooth smiled. "Thank you, Bunny." Then her eyes widened, her head tilted as she heard something that only she could hear. "That was just my fairies," she relayed, biting her lip. "My Palace is under attack!"

"We'll come with you, sheila," Bunny said immediately. Sandy nodded an affirmative, punching his palm with a tough expression.

Tooth flew higher to the window. "No, I'll go first. You just get Jack and North."

Bunny watched Tooth depart, before racing to North's office. Something was definitely up.

* * *

"It's nothing personal, North," Jackie said as the two of them went down the elevator. "But what you all do, it's just not my thing."

"Man in Moon says it _is_ your thing. We will see." North went faster through the workshop, making various adjustments in the yetis work.

"Hey, slow down!" Jackie called, looking around. "I've been trying to bust in here for years – I want a good look."

"What do you mean, 'bust in'?" North said suspiciously, looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, don't worry, I never got past the yetis," she said casually. The yeti behind her made the "I'm watching you" sign and punched his palm threateningly, but Jackie knew that he was just teasing. "Oh, hey, Phil!" she chirped cheerfully, waving.

"Where do you think I got my hoodie from?" Jackie said innocently.

North didn't reply, only commanding, "Keep up, Jack, keep up!"

_Jack_ie, she thought. Why did the whole spiritual world think that she was a guy? Just because Jokul Frosti was a man in Nordic Mythology didn't mean that _she _was. She sighed. _I guess "Jack Frost" just _sounds _better. I'll have to tell them I'm a girl eventually. _

Jackie supposed it was the short hair, and the lack of curves. Her silvery-white hair barely brushed her shoulders, and her bangs made it hard to see her blue eyes clearly. Jackie sighed again, before looking around the workshop with renewed interest. Yetis were fiddling with toys, examining them at all possible angles. "Whoa!" Jackie ducked before a plane could bonk her on the head.

"I always thought the elves made the toys," she commented, looking at all the furry creatures.

"We just let them believe that," North whispered conspiratorially behind his hand before making a right.

Jackie glanced at the elves that were present, and suppressed a smirk. The clueless little elves were just electrocuting themselves with Christmas lights and chowing down on cookies.

"Very nice," North lied with a smile. "Keep up good work." The man wrapped an arm around Jackie's narrow shoulders and pulled her forward.

As they walked, North declared to a yeti, "I don't like it. Paint it red!"

The yeti in question protested before groaning at the large stack of toys that it had to repaint.

North kept walking with long strides, so it was difficult for the significantly smaller girl to catch up. He then opened a door to a large room with huge blocks of ice and a wooden bookshelf filled with books, obviously, and other interesting-looking trinkets.

"Fruitcake?" he offered, taking the platter from an elf.

_Man, those things are _everywhere_!_ Jackie thought. "Uh, no, thanks."

North tossed the cake in a corner, where over-eager elves began scooping it up. "Now, we get down to tacks of brass," he said, cracking his knuckles.

Jackie's eyes narrowed. "Tacks of . . ." She then flinched as the door behind her slammed with a loud bang and locked itself tight. Jackie attempted to curl in on herself as North came closer, looking threatening.

"Who _are_ you, Jack Frost? What is your center?" he asked, poking his finger at her chest. Jackie pressed harder against the door to avoid being touched . . . there. But she couldn't blame him – only Wind knew the fact that "Jack" was actually female.

_Let's see, _Jackie thought sarcastically, _I'm a winter spirit, about three hundred years old, I look seventeen, and, oh yeah – I'm a girl._

Instead, she stammered out, "My _center?_"

"If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, you must have something _very_ special inside," North concluded, his finger now in front of Jackie's face. He stepped back, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. He smiled, and reached over to something on the bookshelf. "Here we go. This is how you see me, no?" he asked, holding out the _matryoshka _doll out to Jack. "Very big, intimidating . . ."

Jackie eased herself off the door and examined the doll North was holding.

"But if you get to know me a little . . . well, go on." He tossed the nesting doll at Jackie, who caught it. She set her staff against the table and opened the doll. Jackie stared at the inside before saying slowly, "You are downright . . . jolly?"

"But not just jolly! I am also mysterious . . . fearless . . . and caring!" Jackie was opening the rest of the dolls as North spoke. "And at my center –"

Jackie poured the last figure into North's hand and blinked. "There's a tiny, wooden baby," she deadpanned, rubbing her forehead tiredly.

"Look closer," North instructed. "What do you see?"

Jackie picked it up, trying to pull information from thin air. "I – I – You have big eyes," she offered lamely.

North smiled. "Yes! Big eyes, very big, because they are full of _wonder_." North seized Jack's shoulders, then walked deeper into his office, gesturing to his prototypes. Jackie smiled at his enthusiasm. "That is my center. It is what I was born with. Big eyes that have always seen the wonder in _everything. _Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air . . . This _wonder_ is what I put into the world, and what I protect in children."

They were now out of North's workshop, staring at the magic that was all around them. "It is what makes me a Guardian." He turned to face Jackie. "It is my center. What is yours?"

Jackie averted her gaze and looked at the doll instead. "I don't know." But North simply put his hand over hers and closed her fingers over the figurine.

"Keep it, until you _do_ know . . . _Jacqueline."_

Jackie looked up in shock, but then spied Tooth shooting past the window. Bunny and Sandy then appeared, the former saying, "We have a problem, mate. Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

* * *

Oh my goodness, North knows! How? That will be answered soon.

Leave any comments on the story below, and I'll see you soon!


	3. Interlude: Easter Sunday, 1712

Thank you to **meep15 **and **WatUCWatIC** for favoriting and following! Everything is most appreciated.

And huge huggles for **shaneEgirlo**, **WatUCWatIC**, **Dreamer558750**, **White Hunter**, **Baylee1100**, and **FlockPack **for reviewing!

**Reader Responses:**

**shaneEgirlo: **Oh, yes, I'd like to think that he does know. He's gonna swoop in all creepy-like and . . . oops! Spoilers! Haha. :) And poor, poor, Bunny . . . his reason for strongly disliking Jack(ie) will be somewhat justified in this chapter.

**FlockPack: **I did have North know for a reason. He does have his Naughty and Nice Lists, and Jacqueline "Jackie" Frost _is_ at the top of the Naughty List. Though why he referred to Jackie as a guy in the first couple chapters is a mystery to me . . . he'll probably address it sometime later.

**WatUCWatIC**, **Dreamer558750**, **White Hunter**, and **Baylee1100**: Thank you, and here's your update! :D

* * *

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."  
― Edith Sitwell

* * *

**Interlude: Easter Sunday, 1712**

* * *

"Jackie, wake up, wake up, wake _up!"_

Jacqueline Overland opened her brown eyes drowsily, her tired gaze meeting the energetic one of her little sister. "Emma, I" –she yawned– "go 'way . . . M'sleepy." The teenager then tugged the covers over her head and closed her eyes, hoping to continue that beautiful dream the Sandman gave her – the one where she was flying with the wind.

"But it's _Easter!_" she whined, unrelenting. "Mama won't let us go look for the Easter Bunny if we're late for Mass. So – wake – up!" Each word was pronounced with a playful whack from a discarded pillow.

Jackie peeked over her covers, just enough to let her eyes show. "But Emmmaaaa . . ."

"But Jackiiiieee . . ." Emma mimicked, putting on her best puppy-dog look. "Please?"

The older girl sighed in defeat. The dream might come again tonight. Swinging her nightgown-clad legs out of her bed (when she slept was the only time Jackie would willingly wear a dress), she stretched, declaring that today would be the day they finally caught the elusive Easter Bunny.

Emma cheered. "Yay!"

Jackie grinned at her little sister, an idea forming in her head. Tackling Emma to the bed, Jackie yelled triumphantly, "But now you must suffer the wrath of the Tickle Monster, for waking her up from her slumber!"

Jackie's fingers dug into Emma's sides, making the girl start immediately shrieking with laughter. "Hahahaha! No – Jackie, stop! Ahahahahaha!" Jackie released her sister, after saying that she (the Tickle Monster) wouldn't stop until she was defeated.

Emma leaped out of the bed, wielding the pillow from before. "You may have caught me off-guard before, Monster, but I am now ready!" she said, playing along.

When Jackie then took a "threatening" step forward, Emma chucked the fluffy pillow at her face – then tore down the steps screaming with delight. The teenager grinned, then took off after her sister.

"The Tickle Monster never quits!" Jackie yelled. Her smile was still on her face when she came face-to-face with her mother at the bottom of the steps. "Um, hi Mama," she said, her laughter fading. She knew she was going to get a tongue-lashing for her mischief.

_Here it comes . . . _she groaned internally.

"Jacqueline, that is no way for a young woman to act," Emeline Overland said disapprovingly. "You are going be eligible for marriage when you are eighteen, and who would want to court a girl that acts like _you_ for a wife?"

During her mother's speech, Jackie kept her expression neutral. When she said "a girl that acts like _you,_" Jackie knew that her mother wasn't demeaning her, but being realistic instead. She would just be trouble for whomever she married, with her hot head and her quick tongue. "I –" she tried to say, but her mother went on.

"I know that having fun and playing games with the village children is what you like to do," Emeline said with a sigh, "but in one short year – you could be a wife with child."

Jackie blinked, her entire being slowly filling with horror. Yeah, she loved children, but being _pregnant?_ Fear made her lash out. "What makes you think I wanna be someone's wife?" Jackie demanded, walking angrily past her mother. "My freedom'll be taken away! I'll have to be all _prim _and _proper_ andwear a _dress - !_" She couldn't finish her rant without making a sound of disgust.

"Jackie," Emma said almost inaudibly, "you're scaring me."

Jackie could feel her heart pumping. Taking deep breaths to calm down, Jackie scanned her surroundings for her sister. Her glare softened when she glimpsed Emma hiding with a fearful look in her eyes behind their mother's skirts.

"Jacqueline –"

"Yes, Mother," Jackie replied quietly. "I'll try to be better from now on. And – I'm sorry, Emma." Jackie would now try to be a good girl – a well-bred young woman. Anything to never see Emma's look of fear directed at her again.

Emeline led her daughters to the oven, where cornbread was slowly rising. "Jacqueline," she tried again, "I know that this is hard for you. I was once as wild and fun and as carefree as you were when I was young, but when I met your father, I straightened out. I became a proper lady. And then we had the two of you – our lovely angels."

"I'm no angel," Jackie muttered despite her vow to herself, staring determinedly at the wooden floor. "The only angel that boys will be chasing after is that airhead Annabelle Miller."

"Now, dear –" Emeline began desperately.

But Emma interrupted with a speech of her own. "But you're _way_ nicer than Annabelle, and _way _more fun, too! She just sits around, being boring, while you play with me and my friends when there's no school," she said matter-of-factly. "Once they realize how _boring_ she is, they'll see that Jackie Overland is much, _much_ prettier, and more awesome than Annabelle Miller."

Jackie had to laugh at her sister's outburst. These were one of the many moments that Emma displayed her wonderful, wonderful brilliance. "Thanks, Em. That means a lot."

"But Emma, your sister is growing up," Emeline reminded her youngest. "She has to be more responsible from now on. She won't be able to play with you as much."

"But Jackie can still play with me _sometimes_, right, Mama?" the little girl wheedled, hope shining in her brown eyes.

"Of course," their mother said slowly, "but not as much."

"Then _that_ means we can go skating when the pond freezes later this year, right?" Emma asked, getting excited.

"Definitely," Jackie affirmed, after looking at their mother for permission. The woman had tilted her head with a resigned look that clearly said, _Well, if you must._

"Now wash up and put on your dresses," Emeline then commanded after, pushing Emma gently to the bathhouse first.

-oOoOoOo-

When Mass ended (after two long hours), Jackie had to resist the temptation to run out screaming with the rest of the village children. Instead, she walked calmly to the field where the Easter Egg Hunt was taking place.

Jackie slumped under a tree, recalling how _uncomfortable_ she had felt in the building. Now, it was somewhat cooler under the shade, but there it was hot and humid, filled with all the inhabitants of Burgess dressed in their Sunday best. And it was even worse because she kept telling herself to be proper for once.

So that meant no itching, no daydreaming, and absolutely _no_ falling asleep.

But now, she could afford to be less ladylike, at least for an hour or two. Jackie smiled and waved at Emma, who was happily running back and forth along the field.

Looking away from her sister, Jackie put her palms on the ground, grunting a little as she pushed herself upright. She wandered over to where her mother was chatting with a few women, probably trying to get their sons to court Jackie.

"Hello, um, Mother –" Jackie began, but not before she was cut off.

"Oh, she _is_ a beauty!" one of the ladies said appreciatively. "My Jeremiah will most _certainly_ be calling soon, if he is declined by dear Annabelle."

"Yes, _Jacqueline_ is a wonderful girl," Emeline said in a strange tone, before turning to her daughter. "Yes, dear?"

So her mother _was _trying to get people to become interested in her. Jackie wasn't sure whether to be pleased, angry, or even embarrassed. "I, uh, just wanted to ask if I could go exploring the woods . . ."

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course, but be back by supper," her mother said distractedly before turning back to the conversation.

"An adventuress as well?" Jackie heard one of the women say in shock before she delved deeper in the forest.

When the seventeen-year-old was out of eyeshot, she subtly removed her shoes and socks before tucking them into a hollow tree. It was near the edge of the woods, so Jackie hoped she'd be able to find it again.

She looked around carefully before stepping off the trail. "So where's the Easter Bunny . . . ?" she murmured, scrutinizing the area. Jackie wiggled her toes in the soft dirt before taking off in a random direction. As she ran, Jackie lifted up her blue skirt slightly to avoid it getting caught in brambles.

A flash of gray and green caught her eye.

Jackie froze, then looked around slowly. "Found him."

She tiptoed closer to where she saw the burst of color. She pushed back the bushes, then –

Jackie yelped and whirled around when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She punched blindly, feeling a wave of satisfaction when her fists connected with something hard, but . . . furry? No matter, she decided. Jackie swung her leg around for a kick to her assailant –

"Ow! Whatcha do that for, sheila?" a male voice demanded in an unknown accent, catching her leg mid-swing.

Jackie growled, attempting to pull her foot back. "Let go of me!" she yelled, glaring hard into the green of a . . . rabbit? The rabbit-thing complied, making Jackie fall hard on the ground. "Ow!"

"Whoops, sorry, mate," he said sheepishly, rubbing his ears.

Jackie scrambled back from the creature, faintly realizing that her dress was probably ruined and completely covered in dirt. "Who –what _are you?_" she panted, gaping openly.

The rabbit chuckled. "Name's E. Aster Bunnymund. Ah'm the –"

"Wait, your name's _Easter?_" Jackie laughed, feeling her fear beginning to fade.

"Easter" looked affronted. "No – it's Aster Bunnymund, but you can call me Bunny, or Bunnymund. Ah'm the Easter Bunny."

Jackie stared, her jaw slack. "No kidding?" _This _was the Easter Bunny? The teen had always pictured her favorite childhood hero as a cute, tiny little thing who spread eggs everywhere. So when the humanoid rabbit helped her up, Jackie realized how small she was compared to him. She barely came up to his chest, for crying out loud!

But she had to admit, the version that was standing in front of her was _way _cooler. Bunnymund had a set of boomerangs around his waist, along with a satchel of something Jackie knew that was dangerous.

"Dead serious, mate." Bunnymund then frowned. "And how old are ya exactly, sheila?"

"Seventeen," Jackie immediately answered. "And my name's not "Sheila." It's Jacqueline Overland."

The two of them began walking the way Jackie came.

"You're pretty old to be a believer, Jacqueline," he commented. "Most kids stop believing in fairy tales at around ten to twelve years of age."

Jackie shrugged and grinned cheekily. "Guess I'm just special that way," she said lightly. "And, um, only my mom calls me Jacqueline. You can call me Jackie."

"Jackie Overland," the Easter Bunny said thoughtfully. "North's spoken a lot 'bout ya back at the Pole. About a girl who always asked fo' gifts fo' someone else, like a pair of ice skates fo' her sister, or a sheet of nice fabric fo' her mother. That you?" he asked, looking down at the girl.

"Who's North?" Jackie asked, though she already had a suspicion about the answer. Bunny had casually listed off her Christmas list from last year and this one . . .

"You'd know 'im better as Santa Claus, but mah friends and Ah call 'im North, since that's 'is last name," Bunnymund said.

Jackie felt her face heat up when she realized that the _Easter Bunny _was friends with _Santa Claus_. "Well, um, yeah. We can't really afford nice things, so I usually ask for things for my family. But I'm okay. I don't need anything."

"Ya sure 'bout that?"

"Yes," Jackie said stonily. "I'm sure."

Bunnymund didn't look convinced, but dropped the subject. "Well, anyway, Ah feel kinda bad about ruinin' your dress, Jackie."

Jackie glanced down, surprised. The blue fabric was stained with dirt. "Oh, well. This dress was one of the few really nice things we had, too. My mother's gonna be so mad . . ."

"So why'd you attack me?" Bunny asked after a while.

Jackie thought for a moment. "Well, I dunno," she said slowly. "I just felt someone grab me, and I responded in the best way I knew how – punching their brains out. The world is pretty dangerous for a girl."

Bunny nodded. "Makes sense," he said. "And your punches are actually pretty strong."

She mock-curtsied as they walked. "I thank you very much, Mr. Kangaroo."

Bunny stopped. "_What _did you just call me?" he asked, glaring playfully at Jackie.

"A kangaroo," came the innocent reply.

"Kangaroo . . ." Bunny grumbled. "Calling me a kangaroo . . . and Ah don't look a thing like them . . ."

"Is Cottontail better?"

"Damn it, Jackie –!"

"Nuh-uh-uh!" Jackie sang, skipping ahead. "Back at home, you would have a bar of soap immediately stuck in your mouth."

"Spiritual beings don't exactly follow the rules of mortals, mate," Bunnymund shot back smugly.

Jackie huffed, turning her head away.

They walked in silence until they reached the edge of the woods. "Hey, hold on, I need to get my shoes," Jackie suddenly remembered, racing to the hollow tree she had stored them in. She plucked them out of the hole and quickly slipped them on, then running back to where Bunny was waiting.

He was painting an egg when she arrived. Jackie was pretty sure he didn't have that egg with him earlier, because it was already covered with shades of blue paint, with silver and white frost designs all around.

"Oh, hey, Jackie," was his response, still painting the egg with quick, deft strokes.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, peering at the piece of artwork. "Whatcha painting?"

"Well, um, Ah wanted to give ya something as a gift, seeing as ya didn't collect any of mah googies today," he said, holding out the finished egg to her.

Jackie smiled. "Wow, this is amazing, Bunny! Thank you so much!" She raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know I liked the snow?"

"Like Ah said, North," the Easter Bunny responded simply.

Jackie was skeptical. "Does he really talk about the children who send him letter a lot?"

Bunny shook his head. "Only the ones he likes. They come around about once a century."

She smirked. "Like Ah said," she echoed, trying to imitate Bunny's accent, "Ah'm pretty special that way."

Bunny laughed at her pitiful attempt, and Jackie joined in.

Jackie and Bunnymund talked for a while, only stopping when the girl realized that it was getting late. "Guess I have to go," Jackie sighed, giving no indication that she actually meant to leave. "My mom and sister are waiting."

"Ah'll be seein' ya next year, anyway, Jackie," Bunny said offhandedly, twirling his boomerang around.

Jackie gave a start. "You – you mean, you'll be coming back?" She held her breath, feeling hopeful (and she found it kinda funny because the person she was talking to was the _Guardian _of Hope. She and Bunny had talked about a lot during their conversation).

Bunny grinned. "Of course, Jackie. Ah'll need to check up on ya after you're _married,_ and 'ave little ankle-bitahs of your own."

Jackie scowled, despite the Guardian's promise. She could translate some of the weird things that Bunny said now. "I won't have kids _that _soon, Bunny," she snorted. But she grinned back to show that she knew he was teasing. "And 'sides, I wouldn't marry anyone without inviting you – 'cause I just claimed you as my best friend – and the other Guardians.

"The words 'best friends' do sound nice," Bunny admitted, his smile growing. The skin crinkled around his green eyes. "It's been a while since I actually talked to someone about stuff."

Jackie smiled back. "Yup," she said. "Best friends." She slowly pushed herself off the branch, eyeing the Easter Bunny carefully. Then, she quickly pressed a light kiss to his furry cheek. Surprised at her own daring, she stood stock-still for a heartbeat, brown eyes meeting green. She then turned and sprinted away, yelling, "See you next year!"

At the edge of the field, Jackie finally looked back, where Bunnymund was frozen to his spot, touching his cheek tenderly. She waved, and, seeing him wave back, she then resumed her run home.

-oOoOoOo-

"Hey, Emmaaaa . . ." Jackie sang when she got home, "look what I found!" She proudly presented the frost-egg to her little sister, who "oohed" in appreciation.

"Where'd you get it?" Emma asked urgently. "There was nothing like that when I went on the egg hunt."

Jackie winked. "Gotta keep this a secret though." She looked around, then crouched down to better meet her sister's eyes. Lowering her voice, Jackie said, "The Easter Bunny gave it to me."

"No, I'm serious, Jackie!" Emma cried. "Where'd you find it?"

After slipping the egg back into her pocket, Jackie grasped Emma's hands. "Em," she said seriously, "I'm not lying."

The younger girl scanned her sister's eyes for any inkling of deceit, but found none. "Will you introduce me to him?"

Jackie stood up and laughed, "Well, he promised me he'd be back next year." Taking her sister's hand again, Jackie asked, "You up for one last game of hopscotch before we go to bed?"

"Yeah!"

Four months later, one week before her eighteenth birthday, Jacqueline Overland fell through the ice on Burgess Pond. Her body was never found.

* * *

Bunnymund gaped at North in disbelief. "No," he croaked out. "You – you're lying. It's not true!" he yelled, his voice finally returning.

North's blue eyes were gloomy. Sighing heavily, he said, "Bunny, the list never lies. You know that."

"You could've made a mistake, or – or, she stopped believing –" he insisted feebly before falling silent.

Bunny _was_ the Guardian of Hope for a reason, but on the inside, Bunnymund knew that his weakly-based reasons were not true. The Naughty and Nice List were checked about a dozen times each (Bunny had no idea where the twice idea came from), and her belief couldn't just be squashed like that.  
Jacqueline – Jackie – couldn't be _dead!_ Hope and wonder had burned so brightly in those brown irises, her mind filled with beautiful dreams and fond memories. Someone that energetic couldn't just be _gone _. . .

"Da," North said sadly. "I had to cross Jacqueline Overland off the list. And – her sister's Christmas list has changed."

Bunny looked up.

"Emma Overland – ah, she wants me to bring Jacqueline back."

Bunnymund then began to laugh – an insane, crazy laugh. "No," he promised, "Ah will search for her until Ah find her again. It's only a matter of time before mah best friend's soul gets reborn."

-oOoOoOo-

"Hey! Wake up!" Bunnymund shouted at the sleeping figure during what would become the Blizzard of '68. He feared that it was a child caught in the freak snowstorm, but the unconscious boy was revealed to be a spirit. When the Pooka met the winter being's eyes, he immediately felt an irrational hate surge through his body.

For a moment, Bunny thought he had finally found his best friend's soul.

Frost was so much like her, down to the innocent gaze (though the eye color was different) and the bare feet. Hell, he even looked like her! But Bunnymund knew it was not to be.

And Jack Frost's fate was sealed when he dared to look at the Guardian of Hope with the same intense, snarky look as Jackie Overland once did.

* * *

Well, now you guys know why Bunnymund seems to hate Jack(ie) . . . I decided to put an interlude to give some characters a kind of backstory, as I mentioned in Chapter 1.

And I just realized - I seem to have Bunny swearing a lot. To me, it just fits his tough attitude, haha.

Wow, my chapters are getting shorter . . .

Anyway, please leave any questions, comments, etc. below! See ya real soon!


	4. Enemy

20 reviews already? You people are downright _amazing._

Thank you to **PebbleheartMarie**, **Snowflake274**, **bmorri00**, **xXNapkinNekoXx**, **Fox's Ace**, **sasuxnaruluvr101**, **Asery Aseerrmio Ecvoll Asernil**, **Sapphire Water Maiden**, **BooksAreMagical**, and **Ruby Warrior Girl 730 **for favoriting!

For following: **PebbleheartMarie**, **Starbell Fairy**, **xXNapkinNekoXx**, **Peaceful Dragon Rose**, , **sasuxnaruluvr101**, **Asery Aseerrmio Ecvoll Asernil**, **Kimchi Cake**, **Aiedrail**, **virgo bookworm**, **BooksAreMagical**, **Muggleborncutie**, **Sapphire Psycho**, **ScarletRaven13**, **taz12345**, and **anglexwithxwings**.

And definitely for reviewing: **Dreamer55870**, **White Hunter**, **shaneEgirlo**, **PebbleheartMarie** (twice!), **Baylee1100**, **RandomReader**, **AngeGirlmon**, **Asery Aseerrmio Ecvoll Asernil**, and **SnowHawk0316**.

**Reader Responses:**

**RandomReader:** Thank you for your input! I'm actually dancing around the pairing, trying to insert friendship fluff here and there.

**White Hunter: **Yup! I've read some fics about where they knew each other from before, and I tried to do my own spin on it.

**PebbleheartMarie**, **Baylee1100**, **Asery Aseerrmio Ecvoll Asernil**, and **SnowHawk0316: **Hello, and here's your update!

Most people have been wondering how Bunny'll react when he finds out the truth, and that might not happen for a while. I'm really excited for the big reveal, though. :)

* * *

"Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.  
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.  
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.  
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance."  
― Yoko Ono

* * *

**Chapter Three: Enemy**

* * *

"Come, Jack," North said, leading everyone through a different set of doors.

"But –" Jackie tried to say. The other three forged ahead, leaving her behind. Groaning, she shot after them, wondering if she'd regret it later.

They came to another pair of doors, tall and towering. "Jack, you must keep up. We are going to the sleigh." North said impatiently, pushing through the entrance.

"North! North, I told you I'm not going with you guys!" Jackie protested, though she was already willingly following the male Guardians. Was it because she wanted to know how North knew her real name? Or was it because she started to _trust_ the Guardians?

Minus the Easter Kangaroo, of course.

"There is _no _way I'm climbing into some rickety, old . . ." Jackie's voice died as something that _looked _like a sleigh, but at the same time looked a _lot_ cooler than what she pictured was led out by a team of reindeer. ". . . sleigh?" She laughed as she almost got whacked in the head by a hoof. Call her crazy, but the adrenaline was already coursing through her veins.

The sled stood in front of Jackie and the rest of them. She stared at it, conflicting feelings warring in her mind. She then took a breath and determinedly marched to the sleigh, saying, "Okay. One ride, but that's it."

As she claimed a seat, she could hear North chuckle, "Everyone loves the sleigh." He sat down on the driver's bench and took the reins, saying, "Bunny, _vhat_ are you waiting for?

Jackie watched in amusement as Bunny nervously tapped the sleigh and said, "Ah think mah tunnels might be faster, mate. And, um, safer." As Bunny turned to walk away, North grabbed the scruff of the rabbit's neck, saying "Get in" and dumped him next to Jackie.

"Buckle up!" North then commanded gleefully.

Bunny glanced around frantically. "Where're the bloody seatbelts?"

North looked over his shoulder. "That vas just expression!" Turning to a yeti, he asked, "Are we ready?" Receiving an affirmative, North yelled, "Good – let's go! Clear!"

The reindeer began to move forward at North flicking the reins and saying "Hyah!" They ran faster and faster, and Bunnymund began to look like he was going to throw up. Jackie smirked mischievously as his claws made scratch marks on the red paint of the sleigh. _Oh, this is going to be _so _good . . ._

"Out of the way!" North roared, laughing.

They entered an ice tunnel, Bunny screaming in fear all the way. "Oh, no!"

Jackie was now standing up, looking around excitedly. The wind was whipping in her hair, the cool feel of ice was all around her – now _this_ was amazing. She grinned crazily, her hand gripping the side of the sleigh.

"Slow down!" Bunny yelped, but North simply laughed in response.

"I hope you like the loopty-loops!"

Jackie was thrilled, and by the looks of it, Sandy was too. When she looked back at the little man, he had his arms raised with exhilaration.

Bunny gave a very audible gulp. "I hope ya like carrots . . . !" he replied, looking sick.

Jackie could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The reindeer galloped faster and faster until they were on the wooden ramp – and then they were aloft. Flying by sleigh was a much different feel than with Wind, but Jackie decided it wasn't all that bad. Just different. Giving a whoop of delight, she climbed to the end of the sleigh and looked eagerly at Santoff Claussen, which was rapidly becoming a speck in the distance.

"Hey, Bunny," she called, "Check out this view – whoaaa!" Jackie smiled impishly as she "fell off" the sleigh and landed safely on the runners.

"North!" she heard Bunnymund stammer out. "He's . . ." Jackie listened with barely concealed laughter as the Pooka mumbled out something intelligible, before he peered fearfully over the side of the sleigh.

"Aww," she cooed, holding her staff in one arm, "you _do _care."

Bunny's worry quickly morphed into indignation. "Oh, rack off, ya bloody show pony!"

Jackie grinned as she hopped back on the sleigh. She had gotten _Bunny_ to worry about _her! _What had the world come to? Now rabbits were going to grow into large, annoying, humanoid creatures – _wait,scratch that,_ she thought. _There's one next to me._

"Hold on, I know a shortcut!" North called over the blowing wind.

"Strewth, I knew I should've taken the tunnels . . ." Bunny whimpered.

Jackie watched with wide eyes as North pulled out something that looked like a snowglobe from his large, red coat. He smiled back at her and whispered to the globe, "I say . . . _Tooth Palace._" He threw the snowglobe in the path of the reindeer, and a swirling portal appeared. North flicked the reins to urge the reindeer faster, and the four were sucked in.

* * *

Tooth screamed with rage as she sliced through the black shadows with her wings. How dare they try to take her daughters? She rocketed up in the air, arms extended, trying to save one more fairy from the clutches of a shadow. But the Guardian of Memories was too late. Her child was snatched up.

Her vision being tinted with red, Tooth shot down again, where a section of fairies were defending North America's tower. With her sharp vison, Tooth could see that one fairy was clutching a tooth box with the face of a girl painted on it. She could've sworn she'd seen that face before . . . but the Tooth Fairy was once again too slow, and her helpers – and the teeth that they were defending – were taken.

* * *

Jackie stood up as the Tooth Palace came into view. It was a pretty place, with pristine mountain ranges and green foliage all around. But her eyes narrowed as black shapes came hurtling toward them. Something was up.

Clearly, North saw it too. Muttering "What?" under his breath, he directed the reindeer left and right to avoid the incoming obstacles. "What are they?"

Jackie glanced back worriedly and saw that Bunny, too, was gazing in shock at the shadows. Sandy had formed a golden umbrella to shield himself from getting hit, but that wasn't strong enough against the force of the black blurs speeding at them.

Hearing fearful chirps, Jackie looked around for the source. Eyes widening with horror, she yelled, "They're taking the tooth fairies!" She flew up and snatched the small fairy out of the way of an incoming shadow. Landing back in the sleigh, she asked the fairy in her palms, "Hey, little baby Tooth. You okay?"

The mini-tooth opened her eyes (which were a fascinating color – one was blue and the other was as violet as her mother's) and nodded yes, twittering.

North guided the sleigh deeper into the mountain. Tall towers loomed over them, making it hard for them to navigate. One of the black creatures – which vaguely resembled a horse – flitted around, whinnying. Jackie was crouched next to North, when he handed her the reins, commanding, "Here. Take over."

Jackie blinked in confusion before taking the offered reins and yelling, "Hyah!" She attempted to keep the sleigh under control as North stood and brandished his dual swords. He slashed through the dark horse, and it crumbled into black sand – spraying Bunny and Sandy.

A golden object clattered on the floor of the sled. "They're stealing the teeth!" Jackie heard the former say. Then, "Jack, look out!"

Jackie gasped, jerking the reins right to avoid the sudden appearance of a tower. They crash-landed on a ledge, the occupants jerking at the sudden stop. The sleigh teetered slightly as everyone looked up to see Tooth zooming back and forth in front of another tower.

"Tooth!" North roared, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Are you all right?"

Jackie clambered out of the vehicle as Tooth fluttered down to them, saying, "They – they took my fairies, and the teeth! All of them . . . !" She slowly sank down on a higher ledge, the other three Guardians moving next to her. "Everything is gone. Everything . . ." she said brokenly.

Baby Tooth, as Jackie had affectionately dubbed the fairy that she had rescued, flew out of Jackie's hood and into the arms of her mother.

"Oh, thank goodness," Tooth sighed in relief, hugging the fairy to her chest. "At least one of you is all right."

"I have to say," came a new voice from nowhere, "this is all very, _very _exciting. The Big Four, all in one place."

Jackie and the "Big Four" turned around, looking for the source of the voice, though Jackie could've sworn she'd heard it before . . . in her nightmares.

"I'm a little starstruck," the voice continued. A man appeared from the shadows – a man with black hair, golden eyes, and dead gray skin. He peered down at the Guardians. "Did you like my show on the Globe, North?" he jeered. "Got you all together, didn't I?"

North growled in anger, but Tooth sped blindly at the man, screaming, "_Pitch!_ You have got _thirty seconds _to return my fairies – !"

Jackie's eyes widened. _That _was Pitch? _That _was the Boogeyman? When she laughed at his name back at the Pole, she didn't realize that he was that big of a threat. Jackie had never met the man personally, as he had been banished somewhere by the Guardians. If Pitch Black was the one haunting her nightmares, then they were in very serious trouble indeed.

"Or what?" Pitch sneered, reappearing on a different ledge. "You'll stick a quarter under my pillow?" Though his voice was soft, there was almost visible malice underneath.

"Why are you doing this?" North demanded, pointing one of his swords at Pitch.

Pitch narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Maybe I want what _you_ have," he whispered silkily, pointing his finger back. "To be _believed _in."

Jackie took an involuntary step back. Those words . . . had really hit much too close to home.

"Maybe I'm _tired_ of hiding under beds!" the Boogeyman said, his being becoming one with the shadows as he moved.

"Maybe that's where you _belong,_" Bunny shot back, taking a threatening step forward. But he jumped as Pitch suddenly reappeared under his feet, stating tiredly, "Oh, go suck an egg, rabbit."

Jackie frowned. Only _she _was allowed to tease Bunnymund like that! She carefully circled around, holding her staff defensively – searching for any sign of Pitch Black.

Then her heart sank as Pitch said, seemingly surprised, "Hang on, is that _Jackie Frost?_" He chuckled once before asking, "Since when are you all so chummy?"

Jackie steeled herself. "We're not," she said curtly.

"Good. A neutral party. Then, I'm going to ignore you," Pitch said, his voice now laced with what sounded like boredom. "But you must be used to that by now."

Jackie bit her lip, her chest being filled with hurt.

Suddenly, Bunny leaped off the ledge, roaring, "Pitch! You shadow-sneaking ratbag – come here!" But the Boogeyman dissolved once again into the shadows. Then Tooth came charging in, screaming wordlessly. She redirected herself using Bunny's shoulder as she raced up to where Pitch rematerialized. But she then fluttered backwards as a wave of black erupted in front of her.

Baby Tooth squealed and hid back inside Jackie's hood.

"Whoa," Pitch said, steadying the black horse. It looked so much like him, with its eerie golden eyes, and the evil emanating off it. "Easy, girl. Easy." He dragged his fingers over the mare's black coat before holding out a handful of grains. "Look familiar, Sandman?"

Sandy clenched his fists after summoning a swirl of his own dreamsand.

"Took me a while to perfect this little trick," Pitch said casually. "Turning dreams into _Nightmares._" He lovingly rubbed down the Nightmare's flank. "Don't be nervous. It only riles them up more. They smell _fear,_ you know."

Bunny scoffed, taking his fallen boomerang from Tooth. "What, of you? No one's been scared of you since the Dark Ages!"

"Ah, the Dark Ages," Pitch mused. "Everyone frightened. Miserable! I had such power – but then the Man in the Moon chose _you _to replace my fear with your _wonder _and _light, _lifting their hearts, and giving them _hope._ And then . . . I was written off as just a bad dream! 'Oh, there's nothing to be afraid of, there's no such thing as the Boogeyman!'

"And what about your young charge down there?" Pitch murmured, his voice becoming softer. He turned his head and smirked at Jackie. "Little Jackie was the perfect test subject over my years of isolation. She had so many beautiful fears . . . and look! It's already happening."

The towers, standing so tall and strong, were beginning to crumble.

"What's happening?" Jackie asked. She was already feeling fear. Pitch seemed to know _everything _about her – he knew what the Guardians did not.

Tooth gasped, her violet eyes becoming downcast.

"Children are waking up and realizing that the Tooth Fairy never came," Pitch said with relish. "I mean, such a little thing, but to a child . . ."

"What's going on?" It was a variation of her previous question, but Jackie asked anyway. She wanted to _know._

"They – they don't believe in me anymore," Tooth realized, her boundless energy being depleted by the severity of the situation.

"Didn't they tell you, Jack?" Pitch called down. Jackie numbly recognized that the Boogeyman was now referring to her by her _other_ name. What was he playing at? "It's _great_ being a Guardian! But there's a catch. If enough kids stop believing, everything your _friends _protect – wonder, hopes, and dreams – it all goes away. And little by little, _so do they._"

Jackie didn't know what to feel anymore. Pitch's words were twisting around her heart, confusing her feelings. In the beginning, she had sympathized with the man, but now she just wanted to freeze him until the next millennium. Looking up from her bare feet, she saw that somehow the Guardians had clustered around her, forming a barrier between her and Pitch.

"No Christmas, no Easter," he listed off, "or little fairies that come in the night. There will be nothing but _fear, _and _darkness_, and me," Pitch said, grinning maliciously. "It's your turn not to be believed in."

Without warning, Bunny threw his boomerang at the Nightmare King. Pitch dodged the weapon and jumped on top of the Nightmare, the two dark beings hurtling to the ground. The four Guardians took chase, leaping off the tower. Jackie followed in pursuit, after a moment's hesitation.

Bunny, ever the warrior, chucked egg bombs from his satchel, the eggs exploding in puffs of bright colors. The five of them landed on the ground, each holding their weapons in defense. But in all of the confusion, Pitch Black had gotten away.

"He's gone," North said, doing another sweep around the area.

The steady roar of a waterfall could be heard as the five settled down.

"All right," Bunny said to North, "I'll admit it. You were right about Pitch . . ."

Jackie's eyes softened as she took in the despondent form of the Tooth Fairy, slumped down in front of a small pool of water. "I'm sorry about the fairies," she said, in an effort to make Tooth feel even a bit better.

"You should've seen them," Tooth said, chuckling hollowly. "They put up such a fight . . ."

Baby Tooth flitted around the two females, chirping.

"But why would Pitch take the teeth?" Jackie wondered, crouching next to her.

"It's not the teeth he wanted," Tooth said morosely, staring listlessly at the golden container in her hands. She lifted her head up to meet Jackie's eyes. "It's the memories inside them."

"What do you mean?"

"That's why we collect the teeth, Jack," she said softly. "They hold the most important memories of childhood.

Jackie sighed. There it was again. _Jack. _She glanced subtly over her shoulder, seeing the male Guardians clustered together, not paying attention to them. This was it. "I never realized that the whole world viewed me as a guy," she admitted to Tooth in a moment of weakness.

"But you _are_ a – oh . . ." Tooth trailed off as she realized what the winter sprite had meant.

Jackie chuckled softly. "Yeah. My real name is Jacqueline, but I like to go by Jackie." After a pause, she added, "And, uh, can you not tell the others? North knows, but . . ."

Tooth smiled. "Of course." Then she flew over to a mosaic overlooking the pond. Jackie followed, internally wincing as she left behind a trail of ice.

"My fairies and I watch over the teeth and the memories," Tooth said, switching the subject back to the previous conversation, "and when someone needs to remember what's important – we help them. We had everyone's here," she said, laying a hand on Jackie's shoulder. This time, the winter child did not flinch at the sudden touch. "Yours, too." Tooth's face took on a gloomy expression. "I couldn't save your tooth box in time, though . . ."

"_My _memories?" Jackie asked, tearing her eyes away from the mosaic to look at Tooth.

"From when you were young," Tooth elaborated. "Before you became Jacqueline Frost."

"But I wasn't anyone before I became Jacqueline Frost," she said slowly, pausing when she realized that she had referred to herself in the third person.

"Of course you were," Tooth said. "We were all someone before we were chosen."

Jackie couldn't believe her ears. "What? But at that night at the pond, I just . . . I assumed, I –" She was thinking aloud now, and was backing away from the worried Tooth Fairy. "Are you – are you saying I had a life _before _that, with a – a _home_ and a _family?_" Because those were the things she had _dreamed_ about for so long.

"You really don't remember?" Tooth said sadly.

"All those years, the answers were _right here._" Jackie realized. How had she never known? After all her years of exploring the spiritual realm, not even a _whisper_ of the truth about tooth-collecting had reached her ears. "If I find my memories, then I'll know why I'm here. You have to show me!"

Jackie flew up excitedly, circling once around Tooth, before landing on a nearby shelf.

"I can't, Jackie," Tooth said hopelessly. "Pitch has them."

"Then we have to get them back!" Jackie insisted, pointing the curve of her staff.

Tooth opened her mouth to answer, but instead gasped as her colored feathers floated softly to the ground. "Oh, no . . ." she breathed, staring at herself in horror. "The children!"

Jackie's eyes widened, slowly coming off of her earlier high. If what Pitch said was true –

Jackie and the four Guardians watched as the mosaic of Tooth began to darken and fade away, crumbling under the crushing feeling of disbelief.

"We're too late!" Tooth whispered.

"No, no!" North suddenly bellowed, swinging his swords around. "No such thing as too late." He drummed his fingers on the hilts quickly and paced around, before pointing a single sword at Bunny's face. "Idea! _We_ will collect the teeth."

Jackie leaned against her staff, smiling at North's antics.

"What?" Tooth burst out.

"We get teeth," North repeated, "children keep believing in you!"

"But we're talking seven continents, and _millions _of kids!" Tooth fretted, fluttering nervously in front of the Cossack.

_More like _six _continents,_ Jackie thought. _Unless you collect teeth from baby penguins._

"Give me break," North said, brushing off Tooth's concerns. "You know how many toys I deliver in one night?"

"And eggs I hide in one day?" Bunny added, seeming to warm up to the idea.

Tooth's frown began lifting up into an excited smile.

"And Jack," North said, looking at her, "if you help us, we will get your memories."

Jackie crouched down. Seemed like North was listening in about the secret thing. _Thanks,_ she thought.

Tooth laughed enthusiastically, while Sandy flashed a thumbs up. Bunny, however, had a sour expression on his face. Maybe that's what made her say –

"I'm in."

* * *

They climbed back up to the towers to get back to the sleigh. This time, Bunny didn't complain about riding in it. Jackie somehow knew it was because of his worry for Tooth, and the faster they collected the teeth, the safer the belief in the Tooth Fairy would be.

North tossed a snowglobe, flicked the reins, and then they were off.

They landed somewhere in Asia, the five of them quickly dispersing to other houses to collect the teeth. Aided by the two Tooth Fairies, they were directed to each house that held a tooth. After a couple hundred houses or so, the tooth collecting was quickly made into a competition.

North's booming laugh could be heard from across the city. "Quickly, quickly!" he bellowed, sliding down the side of one roof.

Jackie yelled, "Hop to it, rabbit!" as she bounded across the roofs, Bunny hot at her heels. "I'm five teeth ahead!"

"Yeah, yeah, good luck," Bunny panted, keeping up with her. "Ah'd tell ya to stay out of mah way, but really – what's the point? Ya couldn't keep up anyway!"

Jackie floated alongside him. "Is that a challenge, Cottontail?" she said, pointing her staff at the Pooka.

"Oh, you don't want to race a rabbit, mate," Bunny said, smiling for the first time around Jackie. He leapt off the roof and landed on another, racing across the top.

Jackie had to admit she had a bit of trouble keeping up with the Guardian of Hope, but that wouldn't stop her from winning! She zoomed around the city, watching the others doing their tasks.

"Is it a race?" Jackie heard North ask. She turned her head to see the Cossack pop in and out of chimneys, soot exploding around him. "This is going to be _epic!_"

"Four bicuspids over there," Tooth chattered to Sandy, "an incisor two blocks east – is that a molar?" she asked, pointing. "They're everywhere!" she shrieked, flying into a billboard in her excitement. "Oww . . ."

"You okay?" Jackie asked, peering over the top of the sign. Ironically, the billboard said something about toothbrushing.

"Oh, I'm fine," Tooth replied, her answer slightly muffled because she had a hand over her mouth. She flew up to meet Jackie, saying, "I'm sorry, it's just been a really long time since I've been out in the field."

Jackie smiled. It was obvious that Tooth loved her job. "How long is a long time?" One year, maybe two?

Tooth rubbed her arms sheepishly. "Oh, four-hundred-forty years, give or take?" Then she gasped, pointing at the house behind them. The Tooth Fairy quickly flew down there, giggling like a little girl.

Jackie met Baby Tooth's eyes with a look of confusion, the little fairy shrugging embarrassedly in response. Baby Tooth then chirped something in Jackie's ear, directing her to another house. The two females flew through the window, Jackie gasping when Bunnymund's figure popped in to pluck the tooth from under the child's pillow. He waved the small object teasingly at her, but Jackie being Jackie, she wordlessly sent a stream of frost at the rabbit.

He gave a yelp of surprise, much to her satisfaction.

They were now back on the sleigh, heading out to a different area of the globe.

Jackie flipped through another open window, but gasped when the ground gave out from underneath her, Bunny leaping out of the hole. "Damn you, rabbit," she muttered as the tunnel spit her out, dirt speckled on her small form.

Their competition began to slowly get dirtier. Bunny stood on a roof, holding a tooth triumphantly, but then slipped on a patch of ice. "Crikey!"

As he slid down, Jackie plucked the tooth out of his paw, saying, "Yes!" But Sandy then swooped in to snatch the tooth away. "No!"

Sandy waved cheerfully at Jackie, floating gently away on his cloud of dreamsand.

The six of them now were on a rooftop in Brooklyn, New York. Jackie, North, Bunny, and Sandy proudly held out their sacks of teeth to the two Tooth Fairies, earning a delighted gasp from Tooth. "Wow, you guys collect teeth and leave gifts as fast as my fairies!"

Jackie's arm dipped as Tooth words hit her. _Gifts?_ The others seemed to be thinking the same thing, as identical guilty expressions appeared on their faces.

"You guys _have _beenleaving gifts, right?" she said uncertainly.

Sandy eagerly nodded, then shook his head as he realized he didn't. They all cringed, as they grasped the idea of how many children and towns they'd have to revisit . . .

As they stood in line at a coin machine in a late-night Laundromat, Jackie had to stifle her laughter. Who would've thought that every child's legendary heroes would go into a place like this? It seemed so – so _normal._

The four of them scooped out their quarters, and the frenzy began again. Jackie dutifully stuck her coins under the kids' pillows, and North and Bunny left candy canes and Easter eggs when they ran out of their supply of change.

After their mad scramble with the quarters, all seemed right. Jackie and the Guardians were seated in the sleigh, being once again sucked up by North's snowglobe portal.

* * *

A lone Nightmare watched from below. It wished that it didn't have to see the bright, colored lights of the Guardians, being accustomed to the dank darkness of master's lair, but its reconnaissance was complete. It had to report back to its master.

* * *

"The lights!" Pitch growled, eyeing his own Globe of Believers. "Why aren't they going out?" The Boogeyman turned as his favorite Nightmare soared down from the shadows, whinnying insistently. "_They're _collecting the teeth?"

Those blasted helpers of the Tooth Fairy began chirping excitedly, their hope growing. "Pipe down!" Pitch snarled at them. "Or I'll stuff a pillow with you!"

The Nightmare alongside him nickered, which the Boogeyman responded with a growl that made it flee back into the shadows. "Fine," he whispered, "have your last hurrah. For tomorrow, all your pathetic scrambling will be for _nothing._"

Pitch created a small sand sculpture of a certain Guardian of Dreams, then cruelly crushed it with his fist.

* * *

Jackie and Tooth sat quietly in Jamie's room, having a brief respite from the "competition."

"Left central incisor," Tooth whispered. "Knocked out in a freak sledding accident. I wonder how that could've happened . . . _Jackie._"

Jackie laughed softly, as to not wake the sleeping boy. Her fingers were still over Jamie's drawing, the one of the sledding ride she made for him, albeit inadvertently. "Kids, huh?"

Tooth simply flipped her quarter in her hand before sliding it under the pillow. "This was always the part I liked most," she said, hovering gently over Jamie. "Seeing the kids." Tooth gazed fondly at the boy, a seemingly hidden emotion bubbling up to the surface. "Why did I ever stop doing this?" she mumbled.

"It's a little different up close, right?" Jackie asked, attempting to lighten things up.

Tooth smiled, moving in front of the girl. "Thanks for being here, Jackie," Tooth said, laying a hand on the winter sprite's shoulder. "I wish I had known about your memories . . . I could've helped you."

Jackie averted her gaze and looked at the floor, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, well, we need to help _you_ first, and then it's _Pitch's_ turn," she said, meeting Tooth's violet eyes.

"Ah, here you are!" North said loudly, interrupting the tranquil scene.

"Shh!" Tooth whispered, gesturing pointedly at the sleeping Jamie. Jamie made a noise of discomfort as the noise grew louder.

Sandy floated gently after North, providing a golden glow in the dark room.

"Oh!" North said. Lowering his voice, he said, "What gives, slowpokes?" Then he turned to Tooth. "How are you feeling, Toothy?"

"Believed in!" came the pleased reply.

North chuckled at her answer and said, "That's good to hear."

"Oh, Ah see how it is," grumbled Bunny, who just popped out from one of his tunnels. "All workin' together, just to make sure the rabbit gets last place."

"Shh!" Tooth, North, and Jackie quickly whispered.

"I hate to be a bummer, but check _this_ out, Peter Cottontail!" Jackie announced in a low voice, holding out her bag of teeth. She knew it was small, but anything that would get a rise out of Bunny . . .

"You call _that_ a bag o' choppers?" he responded, seemingly unimpressed. "Now _this_ – this is a bag o' choppers," he said, holding out his significantly larger sack.

"People, people," North said, pushing in between both of them, "this is about _Tooth_. It's not a competition. But if it was – I win!" He slammed down his large bag of teeth and whooped loudly in triumph. Then a beam of light shone on his face. "Oh, no . . ." he said in a small voice.

Jackie turned. Jamie was awake.

* * *

I'll have to apologize for this somewhat late update. I don't really have a regular schedule for writing, since my summer's beginning to get a bit hectic as school's gonna start in about two-and-a-half weeks for me.

I'll try to post another chapter sometime this week. (Hopefully)

So please leave a review regarding this chapter down below, and I'll see ya soon!


	5. Place We Belong

**A/N: **Eeeee! I love you guys! Thanks so much for the continued support.

**A Bit of Randomness:**

I have had "Still Dream" stuck in my head for the past two weeks, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I can't sing as well as Renee Fleming, though, but I try. :p

* * *

"Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality."  
– Andy Goldsworthy

* * *

**Chapter Four: Place We Belong**

* * *

Jackie watched with amazement as Jamie's flashlight roamed over the other four Guardians. "Santa Claus?" Jamie whispered, his flashlight roaming over the Guardians. "Easter Bunny? Sandman. The_Tooth Fairy! _I knew you'd come!" he cried, his joy evident.

"Surprise!" Tooth trilled nervously, glancing at the others. "We came."

"He can see us?" Jackie asked, not even daring to hope. Finally, after so long?

The beam of light shone into Bunny's face again. "Most of us," he replied, looking at her with what looked like . . . _pity._

Jackie's tentative smile slipped from her face as she realized that there was no flashlight shining on her. No shadow on the wall behind them at all. _I knew it._

"Hey, you guys," Tooth whispered urgently, "he's still awake!"

Jamie's flashlight moved as each person talked. "Sandy, knock 'im out," Bunny commanded, to which Sandy responded by punching his fist with a satisfied expression. "With tha dreamsand, ya gumby!" he hissed, seeing the potentially violent gesture.

At Bunny's voice, the dog sleeping at Jamie's foot was startled awake. Seeing the closest threat – Bunnymund – it crouched defensively in front of the boy, growling.

"No, stop! That's the _Easter Bunny!_" Jamie shouted, trying to stop his pet from attacking. "What are you _doing_, Abbey? Down!_"_

"All right, nobody panic," Bunny said, setting down his sack of teeth and backing away slowly.

Jackie chose this moment to interject. "But that's a, um, that's a _greyhound,_" she said, pointing at Abbey. "Do you know what greyhounds _do_ to rabbits?"

"Well, it's a pretty safe bet that it's never met a rabbit like me," Bunny responded. "Six foot one, nerves of steel, master of tai chi . . ."

Sandy and Jackie rolled their eyes simultaneously, the former making a ball of dreamsand, and the latter quickly tapping Jamie's alarm clock. It immediately went rang shrilly, setting Abbey off.

"Crikey!" Bunny yelped, green eyes widening. Abbey leaped off the bed after Bunny, who shot around the room in a strange game of keep-away.

"No, Abbey, down!" Jamie was shouting uselessly.

Sandy carefully aimed at the pair, ignoring North's yells of his name. Then, the greyhound knocked into the Guardian of Dreams, knocking him off-balance and making him lose hold on the ball of dreamsand. The ball shot in North's direction, but he dodged it, the projectile smacking into both Tooth Fairies instead. They collapsed on the ground, contentedly dreaming about teeth.

"Get this dingo off me!" Bunny yelled, glancing back at Abbey. But the surprisingly bouncy ball slammed into Bunny's face and angled off a wall, hitting Abbey soon after.

North was down next, hazily saying, "Candy canes . . ." as he poked his dream. He fell on Jamie's bed, causing the boy to fly up into the air. Jamie landed in Sandy's arms, and was promptly knocked out with a flick of the Guardian's head.

"Whoops," Jackie said, not feeling a bit sorry at all. "Oh, I really wish I had a camera right now . . ." She suppressed her laughter as the carrots from Bunny's dream, and the candy canes from North's dream combined together to form tap-dancing carrots.

Sandy was putting Jamie back to bed, but then stared wide-eyed at something behind Jackie. She turned, alarmed at his fear, and gasped, seeing one of Pitch's Nightmares lurking outside Jamie's window.

"Sandy, come on!" she yelled, jumping outside. "We can find Pitch!"

They flew side-by-side, chasing the Nightmare and its friend through Burgess. Jackie was laughing, enjoying the thrill of the chase. She looked at Sandy, who was smiling as well. The two spirits glided past an apartment building, where Sandy caught one of the corrupted dreams and turned it into a golden stingray with his power.

Jackie chased after the remaining Nightmare, flipping around chimneys and racing up walls, but then sent a wave of frost as it flew over a rooftop. She laughed breathlessly. "I got it!" Jackie hopped over the wall, looking for the (hopefully) frozen shadow. As she poked it with her staff, a spark of blue magic raced along the Nightmare.

"Sandy!" she shouted loudly. With any luck, he could hear her across town. "Did you see that?" Jackie poked the frosted Nightmare again, now fascinated by it. "Look at this thing," she said, but more to herself this time.

"_Frost?_"

Jackie jumped, whirling at the sudden sound. Her eyes widened as she realized who was in front of her.

_Pitch._

She shot a stream of ice at the Boogeyman, but he retreated back into the shadows. "You know, for a neutral party," he said, reappearing above her, "you sure spend a lot of time with those _weirdoes._This isn't your fight, Jacqueline."

So he _did_ know. "You _made _it my fight when you stole those teeth!" she snapped, raising her staff higher.

"Teeth?" Pitch chuckled humorlessly. "Why do _you _care about the teeth?" But then he gasped and jumped back as Sandy appeared behind him, an angry expression on his face. Regaining his "in control" air, Pitch chuckled again, spreading his arms out in welcome. "Now _this _is who I'm looking for!"

But Sandy turned back and sliced a golden whip at the Nightmare King, sending attack after attack. Pitch dodged each one, and summoned his own weapon – a scythe made of nightmare sand. The two dream bearers attacked relentlessly, whirling around in a dangerous dance.

Jackie dove to the ground as a tendril of dark sand came to close for her liking. Quickly moving her gaze up to the battle, she saw that Sandy had managed to wrap a whip around Pitch's wrist and was slamming him everywhere – to the sky, the wall, and the ground. Pitch was abruptly released, and he landed roughly on the pavement below, groaning.

She flew up to Sandy. "Remind me not to get on _your _bad side," she joked, staring at Pitch's stirring form. The two of them floated gently down to the ground, where the Boogeyman was quickly scrabbling backwards.

"Okay, easy. You can't blame me for trying, Sandy. You don't know what it's like to be _weak _and _hated_ . . ."

So he was playing the pity card again. But Jackie wasn't going to fall for it this time!

"It was _stupid_ of me to mess with your dreams," he continued, standing up and holding out a defensive hand. "So I'll tell you what – you can _have them back,_" Pitch said, a dangerous glint in his golden eyes.

Jackie stared at him, not understanding, but then a huge group of Nightmares swarmed around her and Sandy, whinnying demonically. They stood back-to-back, Jackie nervously saying, "I'll take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right?"

Pitch rode up to them on one of his creations. Sandy formed his golden whips again. There was a brief moment of tense silence, then –

"Boo," Pitch said, holding out his hands. The Nightmares then charged, Sandy striking a few with flashes of gold. Jackie raised her staff, protecting herself from the onslaught. Then she glanced up as she heard bangs coming from above her. It was the sleigh!

Jackie then felt Sandy grab onto her collar and lift her up into the air, avoiding the cloud of dark dreams chasing them. Once at a good height, he released her and he flew in another direction, leading the Nightmares away. A couple of them came in her direction, but she quickly froze the horses. The sleigh zoomed past her, and Tooth hopped out, slicing through the shadows with her wings. Jackie watched as North and Bunny destroyed the ones near the ground, but then two Nightmares appeared on either side of her.

Thinking quickly, she tucked her arms at her sides and dropped, the corrupted dreams smashing into each other. But as she fell, a stray Nightmare slammed into her side, making her lose her grip on her staff. Jackie groped uselessly at the air, a cold feeling of fear snaking into her heart. That staff was her connection to Wind, and to her powers. It was a part of her. And now she was falling.

But then her fingers locked around the familiar wood of her staff, and she landed on the wing of the sleigh, her eyes meeting Bunny's. She smiled in relief, seeing a somewhat friendly face after that intense battle.

"Ya might wanna duck," he said smoothly.

Jackie looked over her shoulder then ducked as Bunny's boomerang cut through the oncoming Nightmare and spun over her head.

Meanwhile, Sandy stood on a huge cloud of dreamsand, fending off an enormous horde of black Nightmares. He smacked his whips at them, flashes of gold twisting in the night sky. But then Pitch was standing on top of a Nightmare at a distance, staring languidly at the rapidly-tiring Guardian.

"We've gotta help Sandy!" she cried, a surge of protectiveness rushing through her. He was her first friend. _Shewasn't going to fail him now._

North redirected the sleigh, and they all watched in horror as Pitch formed an arrow made of nightmare sand and shot it at Sandy. He cruelly smirked as it made an audible _thud_ even in the cacophony of the battle.

"_NOOOO!"_ Jackie screamed, impulsively throwing herself off the sleigh. Ignoring North's anguished call of her name, she flew as hard and fast as she could to where Sandy was – she could still save him. She had to.

"Don't fight the fear, little man!" Pitch cackled. His triumphant laugh echoed through the sky.

Sandy sank to one knee, weakening as the tainted sand infected the bright gold of his body. He looked at himself in disbelief as the black sand grew over him.

"I'd say 'sweet dreams,'" Pitch whispered, "but there aren't any left."

Jackie was _so _close now. She streamlined her body to shoot faster through the air. Why couldn't she _move quicker?_

The cloud of black sand swirled tighter around the Guardian of Dreams. There was a flash of bright gold, and then Sandy was gone.

"No . . ." she whispered, numbed by the sudden shock of Sandy's death. Then pure _rage_ kicked in. "_Nooo!"_ A scream of fury left her throat as she raced toward Pitch. She wanted to make him pay. He needed to _die._

But then Pitch raised his arms up, and a huge wave of Nightmares rushed up behind him. Too late, Jackie realized her mistake. She was trapped.

She attempted to stop herself in midair, but she had too much momentum. They slammed into her body, encircling her, trying to send her to wherever faded spirits went. Like Sandy.

_Sandy._ Her already unstable emotions reached their breaking point as she remembered who she was fighting for.

Jackie's rage exploded from her body, a noise like a nuclear bomb going off as she glowed with an ice-blue aura of power. The Nightmares surrounding her were destroyed instantly. She screamed again, channeling _everything _through her staff at Pitch. A deadly stream of frost streamed along the horses to where he stood.

The combination of cold and dark exploded, sending Pitch and Jackie flying in opposite directions. As she fell, she hazily remembered that she needed Wind to . . . to help her do what? Then her eyes closed, Wind wrapping uselessly around her frost child.

* * *

_He's falling!_ was the first coherent though that formed in Bunny's head. He stood up in the sleigh, staring up at the sky, where a small, blue-clad figure was hurtling through the air.

"Jack!" North yelled, urging the reindeer to move faster.

But Tooth got there first, zooming through the sky to catch the falling boy. She brought Jack back down to the sleigh, where she laid him gently on the seats.

"J-Jack, how did you do that?" she asked softly, as he stirred.

"I didn't know I could," Jack whispered, before his ice-blue eyes closed again, and he slumped on the floor of the sleigh.

"North, we need to get him back to the Pole," Bunny immediately said, looking down at the unconscious boy. He looked so much more vulnerable when he was asleep, without that annoying smirk on his face, or that defensive, closed-off look. He looked like a child. He looked like . . .

. . . like Jackie.

It was uncanny, their resemblance. Even their _names _were similar!

Tooth and North sent each other a nonverbal message through nothing but a look – something Bunny couldn't decipher. "Yes," North said, throwing a snowglobe in front of them. "We will get Jack back to Pole – and honor our lost friend."

Tooth nodded, before worriedly glancing back at Jack. Her violet eyes were brimming with unshed tears, though she smiled weakly at Bunny. "I didn't know you cared for Jack so much," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

He frowned as he carefully worded his next response. "Ah don't," Bunny said tersely. "He jus' took a pretty hard hit. Anyone in his shoes would probably be dead. He jus' has mah respect, that's all." But as he looked at the sleeping Jack, his gaze softened, a feeling of protection running through him.

* * *

"_How could you, Jackie?" Tooth asked quietly, her hands over her mouth. "I thought you cared for him – for _us_, even!"_

_Jackie tried to move closer to her, to assure her that she _did _care for Sandy, that he was her friend. But her feet seemed to be stuck to the ground, and her voice wouldn't work._

_"You were too slow, Jack," North said, his blue eyes downcast. "If you were faster, you might have been able to save him."_

_"There's nothing we can do, North," Bunny said, glaring hatefully. "Sandy's gone – and it's all because of _her._"_

_And then she was alone again, dark blackness pressing in around her. "I tried to save him!" she yelled into the shadows, her voice returning. "I did!" She screamed and sobbed uncontrollably when she realized that they were never coming back for her, that they didn't want her._

_Ice-blue eyes closed as a cold, cruel laugh echoed in the dark._

"Jackie!"

"Jack, mate, wake up!"

Someone was shaking her. Her eyes blinked open, almost blinded by the blurs of color after being surrounded by black. Jackie propped herself up and blinked again, her vision focusing as worried blue, green, and violet eyes peered into her own.

"You're still here," she whispered, the words tumbling from her lips from against her will. She then cursed silently – they didn't need to know that she _needed _their company. Jackie's hands groped for her staff, but Tooth gently pressed the wood into her arms.

"Of course we're still here, Sweet Tooth," Tooth said kindly, taking her chilled hands into her own. "You're one of us, even though you don't want to be a Guardian. You're family now."

"Tooth is right," North said, standing. "Family sticks together."

Jackie stared, open-mouthed at the remaining three Guardians. "I . . . thank you," she said, not trusting herself to speak anymore. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back that rush of emotions.

_They told her that she was _**family.**

And it was the most beautiful sentence that she had ever heard.

"And, uh, ya did good out there, Jack."

Her eyes flew open. She stared incredulously at the person who had uttered that sentence – Bunnymund.

Seeing her confusion, Bunny sighed, then smiled tiredly. "Didn't know if we could trust ya, but ya sure proved it out there against Pitch."

The wave of emotions disappeared as Jackie smiled tentatively back. Maybe she could trust the other Guardians as well.

Tooth gently squeezed Jackie's hands. "Now let's go. We have a brother to honor."

Jackie followed the three Guardians until the Globe Room, but then hung back. The nightmare was still heavily present in her mind: she still blamed herself for Sandy's death, and this was their moment for grieving – not hers.

Jackie wandered to a window, her staff dragging on the ground. It left a trail of frost to where she sat. She looked over to where North, Bunny, and Tooth performed the ceremony, laying lighted candles on the ground. She could hear the mournful sound of bells ringing, honoring the fallen Guardian.

_Sandy . . ._

A tear slipped down her face, but she flipped up her hood to hide it. She could've _done _something! And if she had, Sandy would've still been here, alive and well. Jackie laid her head on her knees and breathed shakily. _No more crying._

She sat up and pressed her pinky to the glass, looking on sadly as the frost took on the shape of the Sandman. Then she heard heavy footsteps approaching. No one but North or the yetis would sound like that.

"Are you all right?" It was North.

"I just . . ." She sighed. "I wish I could've _done _something," she admitted, saying her earlier thoughts aloud.

"'Done something'?" North echoed, a disbelieving tone in his voice. "Jacqueline, you stood up to _Pitch._ You saved us."

"But Sandy –"

"–would be _proud_ of what you did,_"_ he replied, completing her sentence, though it wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

Jackie looked up at North, into his blue eyes that were so much like hers. She pushed her hood off and slid off of the window seat, walking slowly away.

Then North laid a hand on her shoulder, making her meet his gaze. "I don't know who you were in your past life," he said, "but in this life – you are _Guardian._"

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "How do I know who I am," Jackie asked slowly, "until I find out who I was?"

"You will," North promised. "I feel it . . ."

Jackie waited with bated breath for something wise to come out of his mouth, maybe a word of exactly _how _they were going to help her –

"In my belly!"

Jackie cracked a small smile, despite her earlier feelings of sorrow. "Thank you, North."

"For what?"

She bit her lip, considering how to put her gratitude into words. "For . . . for everything, I guess. Helping me get my memories, keeping my secret . . . and, um, tossing me through a magic portal was a good one," she joked. _And for telling me that you would be my family._

"We will do anything for one of our own," North said firmly, as if he had read her mind. "And _you _are one of us."

A flutter of wings made Jackie turn her head away from North. "Look how fast they're going out," Tooth said worriedly, coming over to their side.

Jackie's head snapped over to the direction of the Globe. Flying up, she said, "It's fear. He's tipped the balance." The glow of the remaining lights seemed so dim compared to yesterday. She looked back worriedly at Tooth and North, but Bunny came bounding over.

"Hey, buck up, ya sad-sacks," he commanded with a triumphant grin. "We can still turn this around." Jackie floated closer to the ground as Bunny drew up to his full height. "_Easter_ is tomorrow,and Ah need your help." She dropped between North and Tooth and smiled as Bunny relayed his plan to them. "Ah say we pull out all the stops, and we'll get those little lights flickerin' again."

They all grinned as they realized that they could still win. They could still stop Pitch. "Let's go," North directed, leading them through a door. "Bunny is right," he added as they stepped on the elevator. "As it pains me to say it, old friend – this time, Easter _is _more important than Christmas."

Jackie tilted her head politely, letting Bunny walk off before her. But he was still in shock, marveling over North's words. "Hey, did everybody hear that?" He hopped to a nearby yeti and gestured in excitement.

"We must hurry to the Warren. Everyone, to the sleigh!" North said, pointing ahead.

But Bunny responded with a grin, "Oh, no, mate. My Warren, _my _rules." He paused, eyeing North slyly. "Buckle up!" Bunny tapped his foot on the ground twice, and Jackie knew what was going to happen two seconds before it did.

"_Shostakovich!" _North gasped.

A hole opened under their feet, and the ground swallowed them whole. Jackie flailed for balance for the first few moments of the trip, but then she was skating around the tunnel, almost like she was flying with Wind. She and Tooth flipped gracefully out of the end, but North and his yetis flopped on the ground hard.

He raised a dizzy hand. "'Buckle up.' Is very funny." North sat up and looked at Bunny, who had spread his arms wide.

"Welcome to the Warren."

The Warren was admittedly a beautiful place. Trees and flowers of all kinds grew, and butterflies flitted about. The temperature wasn't too hot, so Jackie didn't feel uncomfortable at all. This really could be a sort of Paradise.

But soon after the Pooka said those four words, his ears shot up. Whirling around, he began sniffing the air suspiciously. "Something's up," he warned.

They all stared at a nearby opening, where little egglets were quickly toddling out. Bunny drew his boomerangs, North unsheathed his swords, Tooth raised her fists, and Jackie gripped her staff. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the egg golems had twisted their faces around for battle. Bunny roared and charged forward, leading everyone to the danger.

But something sounded . . . off. Screaming also echoed from the tunnel, before a little girl in flannel pajamas burst out. Bunny skidded to a stop, and everyone else followed suit. The little girl stared at the spiritual beings, open-mouthed, clutching three egglets to her chest tightly.

Jackie was equally stunned. She recognized this girl. It was Jamie Bennett's little sister. "_Sophie?_"

Everyone quickly straightened up, grinning embarrassedly. To think that the legendary Guardians were freaking out over a small, three-year-old girl.

But Sophie simply ignored them, having spotted something much more interesting. "Elf, elf, elf!" she squealed, racing past Jackie's legs.

Bunny turned on North for an explanation. "What is _she _doing _here?_"

North frantically patted his red coat, before whispering guiltily, "Snowglobe."

Bunny's anxiety seemed to skyrocket. "Crikey, somebody _do something!_" He turned to Jackie for help. "Any ideas?"

Jackie backed up, smiling innocently. "Hey, don't look at me. I'm _invisible_, remember?"

"Elf! Elf!" Sophie said happily, dragging the poor thing along.

Bunny opened his mouth to fire a retort, but Tooth twirled into the air, singing, "Don't worry, Bunny. I bet she's a fairy fan!" Looking down at Sophie, she said kindly, "It's okay, little one."

"Pretty!" Sophie breathed, staring at the bright plumes adorning Tooth's body. The elf lay forgotten.

Tooth smiled, almost preening under the compliment. "You know what? I've got something for you!" She held out something in her hands to the girl, saying, "Look at all the pretty teeth, with little blood and gum on them!"

Jackie resisted the urge to do a face-palm. _Really, Tooth?_

Sophie seemed to thinking along the same lines as Jackie, because her face crumpled and she ran away shrieking in disgust.

Tooth seemed utterly bewildered. "W-what?"

Jackie walked past her and said, "_Blood _and _gums?_" She flew up onto an egg statue and watched Sophie play. "When was the last time you guys even hung out with kids?"

"_Peek-a-boo!"_ Sophie shouted, scaring the little egglets out from under the statue. She giggled and chased after them eagerly.

"We are very busy bringing joy to children," North explained patiently. "We don't have time . . . for _children,"_ he realized slowly.

Bunny looked up from trying to gather the little eggs, and Sophie ran by, chasing butterflies.

"If one little kid can ruin Easter," Jackie said, forming a small snowflake with a simple wave, "then we're in worse shape than I thought." The snowflake blew past Sophie, who giggled. Jackie smiled when it landed on her intended target – Bunny.

The magic that she had poured into the ice took effect on him, as he wiggled his nose in shock, and slowly grinned. Bunny took Sophie's hand and led her to a small clearing, with Jackie following curiously, as she had never seen the Warren before.

The Guardian seemed to be a different person underneath that stiff persona of toughness. He was gentle and kind as he talked with the little girl, asking if she wanted to paint some eggs. Jackie sat on the curve of her staff next to North, wistfully watching the scene. It was so sweet. Bunny _did _have a soft side after all, and it had shown briefly on that first sleigh ride.

Jackie smiled dreamily as she privately thought to herself that Bunny looked nicer when he smiled.

Thousands of little eggs waddled on their tiny legs down the mountain. Jackie thought it was kind of amazing that they knew where to go, despite having no eyes to see, or ears to hear. But it was probably Bunny's own store of special springtime magic. It was a pleasant feeling, unlike Jasmine's harsh rainstorms.

North stared at the spectacle, seemingly impressed. As he said something in Russian, Jackie asked, staring at the plain eggs going by, "So, uh, how much time do we have?"

But Bunny bounded by, carrying a laughing Sophie on his back through the flower trail, where eggs were being sprayed with color. Letting the girl down, Bunny shouted, "All right, troops, it's time to push back. That means eggs _everywhere! _Hidden in every high rise, townhouse, and trailer park. Tennis shoes and cereal bowls! Oh, there'll be bathtubs _filled_ with mah beautiful googies!"

Sophie was lying down on the painted eggs, still giggling as she was pulled along.

Other eggs hopped into the purple dye river, where North fished out one. "Okay, _that's_ a little strange."

"No, mate," Bunny said softly, cradling some of his finished products, "that's adorable." He then hopped up on a large boulder, announcing, "There'll be springtime in every continent, and Ah'm bringin' hope with me!"

The yetis were assisting in every way they could, too. One was merrily painting one last egg red, but Bunny raced by, saying, "Too Christmasy, mate. Paint 'em blue."

Jackie watched Bunny then run over to Sophie's side. As he pointed out a small, pink egg to Sophie he said, "Oh, what's over there?" As she ran over to pick it up, he complimented her on the "find." "Oh, that's a beauty." Bending down and taking her hand, Bunny said," Now all we have ta do is get him and his little mates up through the tunnels to the top . . . and we'll have ourselves Easter."

The little eggs wobbled along the path and through the thousands of tunnels leading to the surface world. Jackie flew down from her perch and crouched next to Bunny and Sophie, looking at the egglets. _Now _this_ – this is beautiful. _There was something peaceful about the thought of hope being spread throughout the world.

"Not bad," she said softly, as Sophie climbed into Bunny's arms.

"Not bad yerself," he replied with a gentle smile, surprising the winter sprite.

But she smiled back, overjoyed at the fact that Bunny seemed to at least _like _her now. Before, they couldn't be in the same area without blowing up at each other. It was a nice change. "And, look, I'm sorry about the – y'know, the 'kangaroo' thing."

Bunny chuckled. "It's the accent, isn't it."

Jackie laughed too. "Possibly."

The two of them stared at each other for a while, before Jackie cleared her throat and stared awkwardly at the ground. "So . . . why didn't you really like me at first?" She glanced back up, wondering if the question was a bit too intrusive.

Instead, Bunny seemed to ponder over it. "Well," he said hesitantly, "ya just . . . remind me of someone. Mah best friend, in fact."

"And that's bad, why?" Jackie wasn't being sarcastic, but merely curious. Humans seemed to like people who were similar to their friends.

"She – um, died. A long time ago." He shifted the now sleeping Sophie in his arms. "And Ah'm still looking for her soul, because people who die are reincarnated into the little babies that come into the world. She . . . she was special to me."

So that explained the bitterness he had felt toward her before. Jackie didn't know how to respond, so she just went with a simple "I'm sorry."

They sat in silence, watching as the last few eggs disappeared into the tunnels. "What were you dreaming about earlier?" Bunny asked abruptly.

Jackie flinched. He didn't need to know about that. "Oh, nothing much. Dolphins and snowballs – all that stuff," she lied.

His green eyes stared intently into her blue ones. "But ya were screamin', Jack. That was no ordinary dream."

She squirmed under his intense gaze. "It was about Sandy," she finally admitted, the pressure forcing the words out. It was _technically _the truth – just not all of it.

Bunny's look softened. "Ya did the best ya could, Jack. It wasn't your fault. It was Pitch's."

It was like what North had told her before, but that still didn't erase the guilt she felt in her heart.

"Aw, poor little ankle-bitah," Bunny said, shifting the subject back to Sophie as Tooth and North came by. "Look at 'er. All tuckered out."

"I love her," Tooth said, with a maternal note in her voice. "But I think it's time to get her home." She took Sophie from Bunny's arms, but Jackie interrupted.

"How about _I _take her home?" It was a good chance for Jackie to prove herself to the Guardians – prove that she could belong in their family.

"But Jackie – _Jack_," she corrected, "_no._ Pitch is out there, and I don't want you getting hurt, Sweet Tooth."

"But he's no match for _this,_" Jackie replied, holding out her staff with a grin. She had sent him running with his tail between his legs during the battle, and who's to say that she couldn't do it again?

"Which is exactly why we need ya here, with us," Bunny said, gesturing to Tooth, North, and himself. _Aw, he _did _care!_

"Trust me," Jackie said confidently. "I'll be as quick as a Bunny." She moved her fingers for emphasis.

They had to smile. "All right, fine," Bunny conceded. "But _no_ detours, Frostbite.

"And take Baby Tooth with you," Tooth added, gently placing Sophie in her arms.

Jackie's eyes widened as the little girl didn't pass through her hands. Maybe kids believed as they slept, or because Sophie was young enough to see everything. "I will," Jackie promised, meeting each of the Guardians' eyes. She and Baby Tooth flew up into the air, and she waved her foot at them, since her hands were a bit full.

"Be safe, Jack!" North called faintly.

As Jackie flew through the tunnel that would lead her to Burgess, she smiled. She finally had a family after three hundred years – one that cared for her, and loved her. People that she trusted.

For the first time in forever, the winter child felt warm.

* * *

Hiya! Well, it wasn't last week like I promised, but I finally managed to update between school stuff. Only a week left 'til I go back! It's crazy!

I _do _have the next chapter typed out already, so expect it sometime around Monday?

Until then, see you all next time!


	6. Interlude II: Introductions

You know that one chapter you're not too proud of? Well, this one was it, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!

Thank you to **Lunarheart01**, **The Dark Lady55**, **Tumblr Fandom Girl**, **Roseflame Crystalheart**, , and **krazylizzy12** for the favorites!

For following: **Lunarheart01**, **Prue162**, **Terra1298**, **Anie Celebrindal**, **Dragon-Wolf-Mustang Rider**, **Lady Canela**, **Roseflame Crystalheart**, **Tyoro Dwin'tlithar**, **Witch by Midnight**, , and **lusians**.

To my lovely reviewers: **Dreamer558750**, **guardianofdragonlore**, **Ern Estine 13624**, **White Hunter**, **Random Reader**, and **Roseflame Crystalheart**.

**Reader Responses:**

**guardianofdragonlore:** I knooooow! I wanted to scream as I was typing that, because I knew what would happen next. "Nice going, kangaroo."

**White Hunter: **Lots and lots of angst, that's for sure. Trust is such a fragile thing . . . at least the trust between her and the Guardians is.

**Random Reader: **I really liked that chapter, too. I hope I can satisfy you enough with the upcoming ones as well!

**A Bit of Randomness:**

Well, there's this guy on YouTube, and he has done _phenomenal _piano covers of some of the RoTG soundtracks. His name? Alex Sheen. He's done some of the main scores to the movie, such as "Still Dream," "Alone in the World," "Wind Take Me Home," and "Jamie Believes." (I'm learning the last three, because he gives _free sheet music, _except for "Still Dream," which you have to pay for. Ughhhhh, and I wanted to learn that one too . . .)

And to the people part of the HtTYD fandom, he's covered the whole soundtrack to the first movie and some of the second movie (_and _has provided sheet music for them as well!) Sebastian Wolff has done some pretty great covers for HtTYD, too. I've already learned his covers of "Romantic Flight" and "Where's Hiccup?".

So now that I'm done fangirling over their amazing piano skillz, on with the reading!

* * *

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn't show."  
– Andrew Wyeth

* * *

**Interlude II: Introductions**

* * *

Jackie was about a day old when she first saw the golden sand. She had flown around the surrounding lands, practicing her flight (while exploring all the way, of course), before asking Wind to take her back to the pond when the sun began to set. Jackie didn't know why she suddenly veered back in the direction of home (her lake) when night began to fall, but she brushed it off, like the automatic curtsy she made to the woman the day before. When Jackie alighted on the smooth surface of the ice, the sky was already an inky black.

And then – she saw it. The gold sand. It shone so brightly against the dark night sky. Jackie stood on the frozen pond, her staff hanging limply at her side. In an effort to see it better, she hopped up on a tree branch with some assistance from Wind. She _was_ curious about the strange (though beautiful) spectacle – who wouldn't be? – but she was still slightly fearful because the sand floated over the town that walked through her. Curiosity flattened her anxiety immediately, though, as she instinctively _knew_ that the strands were safe.

Jackie shakily flew toward the small village, the moon bathing her in its brilliance. She had practiced all day today, but she was still a bit unsteady in the air. Her flight _was _a lot better than it had been the day before, though.

The winter child cautiously landed around the outskirts of Burgess, which was what the tiny village was named. It was very late at night, all of the residents sound asleep in their beds. Jackie walked deeper in the town, using her frost-covered staff as a kind of crutch. Her brown cloak fluttered around her as Wind swirled through Burgess, asking if she wanted to play.

Well, Wind didn't really have a voice, as the Language consisted more of feelings than words. For most spirits, the Language was a hard one to learn (even Toothiana couldn't understand it – and she knew all the dialects in the world!), but Jackie somehow already knew the Language of the Breeze the day she was born.

Jacqueline Frost never realized that she was one of the very few chosen to bond with one of the four winds. But in another time, that story might be told.

"Not now, Wind," Jackie murmured, craning her neck to see where the source of the gold sand was coming from. "I wanna find out what that is."

The breeze around the winter sprite chilled slightly, as Wind "voiced" her irritation.

Jackie sighed and stared pointedly at the space where the cold was strongest. "Tomorrow, I _promise,_" she said, running her free hand through her hair exasperatedly.

Wind seemed happier at her response, and eagerly blew Jackie up to the rooftops. A little bit _too _eagerly in fact, as the frost child landed on her stomach instead of her feet, her limbs splayed in different directions. During Jackie's mini-adventure, though, she had miraculously kept a tight grip on her staff despite the less-than-perfect landing.

Jackie groaned as she unsteadily stood up, her knees and elbows stinging. "_Wiiind . . ._" she complained, leaning on her staff for support. The cool breeze whirled gently around Jackie, a clear apology. Jackie sighed resignedly, still cradling her throbbing elbow, but jumped up back in the sky. A little obstacle like this wouldn't deter her from her "mission."

Jackie drifted over the village square; finally spotting what caused the shimmering strands in the sky. Actually, it was more like _who_. A small, golden man stood atop a huge cloud of equally golden sand, shooting magic in different directions.

Now that she found the source, Jackie wasn't really sure what to do. She hadn't exactly planned this far into the future. So in the end, she went with her instincts.

"Hello!" she called out, feeling shy. When the man didn't even so much as _look _in her direction, her hope dimmed a little. Another person to ignore her . . .

But against her better judgment, she called out again, slightly louder this time. "Hello?" Jackie braced herself for another person who couldn't see her, but the golden man seemed to jump, almost imperceptibly. Had she imagined it?

So when he turned around and gave the stunned girl a wave, her responding smile was as bright was the moon above them.

"You can see me!" she crowed joyfully, doing a cheerful twirl in the air. She then floated down to better meet the man's eyes. His gaze was warm and gentle as he smiled back at her.

Remembering her manners (though, once again, she had no idea where those thoughts came from), Jackie cleared her throat and stuck out her hand. "Hi," she said politely. "I'm Jack Frost. What's your name?"

Jackie _knew _that Jack was a boy's name. But she had seen her reflection in the frozen pond, and was astounded to see that her face barely passed as female. Her boyish looks were even more pronounced with her hair. It was shorter than a typical girl's (her hair just reached her shoulders, and the girls that she'd seen had much longer hair than she), but it was at an acceptable length for a boy. The only thing on her face that looked even _remotely _feminine was her eyes. They just had a girlish look to them.

Or that could just be Jackie's hope that she didn't look _entirely _like a guy.

But before the words "Jack Frost" left her lips, something deep inside her said to use her "boyish looks" to her advantage. And besides, Jack _could _be a nickname for Jacqueline . . . just let the others assume what they will.

The golden man grasped her hand in his own, giving it a strong shake for such a small stature. After, he held out a swirl of sand out to her, then made something that resembled a person above his head.

Jackie became thoughtful. "Ummm, sand. Sand? And, uh, you're a man, so . . . Sandman," she tried, mashing the two clues together.

"Sandman" nodded, grinning.

"I'll just call you Sandy, 'cause your name's kind of a mouthful," Jackie decided shyly, still unused to talking to anyone.

He shrugged and waved again to Jackie, before turning back to his work – whatever it was. It was somewhat of an abrupt dismissal, but she tried to not let it bother her too much, since Sandy clearly couldn't talk if he made those sand pictures above his head.

"Okay," Jackie said, now feeling a bit awkward. "I'll, uh, see you later, I guess." She turned away from the Sandman and flew back in the direction of her pond, where slumber awaited her.

Jackie curled up on a branch later that night, her eyelids fluttering as sleep began to overtake her body. Before drifting off, she glimpsed a vague outline of a golden, shimmering figure in front of her. Then the person sprinkled something on her face, and Jacqueline Frost knew no more – dreaming about snow, a home, and a family.

* * *

When you were a part of the spiritual realm, there were _no _secrets. One way or another, news would travel, and truths, lies, and everything in between would be revealed.

_Especially_ when it came to the Guardians of Childhood. They were known as the "Big Four," or simply even the "Guardians" to other spirits and legends, and they dedicated their lives to protect the children of the world. They were truly a force to be reckoned with – rumor had it that they were chosen by the Man in the Moon himself! – and no one messed with their duties.

. . . Except for Jackie Frost.

Jackie didn't bother the Guardians intentionally, but she happened to stumble across them every once in a while. She learned that Sandy's job was to give dreams to children, and he was the one she saw most often. They never really "talked" again after their first meeting, but they would wave to each other in passing. Sometimes, he would even stop by and give her a dream with his dreamsand.

Eleven years had passed, and Jackie managed to catch a glimpse of the Tooth Fairy. Well, not the real one, but her helpers. She had seen them – small, hummingbird-like creatures flitting about, clutching a tooth each to their chests. Jackie flew up to one of them to say hello, and the fairy chirped excitedly and stared at her in adoration. She wasn't exactly sure why, though.

Jackie had always thought that the Tooth Fairy collected all the teeth herself, but it was really her helpers that did. It made sense, at least. How could she fly around the globe continuously and _not_ be tired?

But still, no matter who collected the teeth, the children of the world _believed_ in the Tooth Fairy_._

And who was Jack Frost? He was just an expression – a boy who was really a girl.

* * *

To the rest of the world, Jackie was a fairly young spirit, only about sixty-five years old. As far as she could tell, other spirits were far older than she – some even around before the Earth existed. So she was still pretty new with the supernatural business . . . in addition to being a seasonal.

Jackie automatically knew that winter was right between fall and spring, so she did her best to keep her season at just the right length. But at times, she was forced to start early, or end late, depending on Mother Nature's requests.

Unfortunately, some didn't exactly approve of Jackie's duties . . . in addition to her occasional off-season snow showers.

Jackie had only met the three other seasonal beings once, during her first meeting. Mother Nature had thought it was a good idea for her "children" to get to know each other, but Jackie knew that the gathering was really for the other three to meet her.

It was March, and Jackie was flying around the British colonies in North America, spreading some light flurries. They _were _a bit late for winter, but Mother Nature had sent word through Wind that she required snow showers in that particular area. Jackie didn't really want to follow her orders, but she had to anyway.

Jackie knew that her season brought about death, and she blamed herself for every person lost to the cold weather. And the war going on at this moment made people even more vulnerable. It was the year 1777; two years after the beginning of what would be known to history as the American Revolutionary War.

After she completed her duties, Jackie called Wind to take her home. She was still saddened by Emma's death, only a decade prior. Something in the woman's eyes reminded her of a long-forgotten feeling inside, but there was no memory to go along with it.

Jackie settled by the lakebed. She took a few steps until she was in the middle of the pond, and then began the dance she did the night she was born. Jackie twirled around, swiping her staff in various directions to shoot another thick layer of frost over the lake. She never forgot to keep it frozen, even in the warmth of spring, and the blistering heat of summer. Jackie would have to infuse magic in her ice during those seasons.

Maybe she never forgot because she wanted at least _one _constant in her lonely life. Something that would never change, like her.

Jackie stepped off the ice and flew up to perch on a tree that overlooked her lake. Admiring her handiwork, she murmured to herself, "Good job, Frost."

"I thought I might find you here. Do you really live in this dump?"

Jackie almost toppled off of the tree at the sudden voice, but Wind caught her and gently lowered her to the ground. "Hello?" she said cautiously. "Who's there?"

"Why, I'm hurt! Does Jackie Frost not recognize her own sister?"

Jackie whirled around, pointing her staff defensively. A tall, pretty girl stood at the opposite side of the pond, holding a small white flower. Jackie glared icily. She knew who this girl was.

"Jasmine," Jackie acknowledged curtly, straightening. She leaned on her staff and gave her a mock salute. "I should've known it was you. I could smell the stink of manure from way over here." Jackie didn't really like her all that much, ever since Jasmine acted like that she was so much better than her. She was so mean and – and _rude._

Jasmine scowled, her anger marring her pretty face. "How dare you?" she shrieked, stabbing the flower in Jackie's direction. "I am your elder – your superior! How dare you not give me the respect I deserve? _And look at me when I am talking to you!_"

Jackie had been examining her fingernails, a bored expression on her face. Looking up, she said, pretending to be surprised, "Oh, you're finished? I wanted to hear you blather on some more!" Then she became serious as she said her next words. "And if you want respect from me, you'll have to earn it. Because respect isn't something I give as freely as my snowballs."

She turned her back on Jasmine, about to take off into the air. "Anyway, I have some more snow to spread, so . . ."

But then a vice-like grip seized her arm. "And here comes the topic I wished to talk to you about, _Jacqueline,_" Jasmine sneered, somehow appearing right next to her.

Jackie's eyes widened. She tried to pull her arm away, panic now breaking through her flippant façade. "Jasmine, let go! I don't want any trouble –"

The spring spirit smiled coldly, and her grip became even tighter. "'Don't want any trouble'? You've been giving me trouble ever since you were _born!_ You make it snow during my season – _my season! _ – and kill off everything. You've killed so many people with your 'snowballs and fun times.' But most of all, you're _Jackie Frost_, harbinger of winter and _death_. You're a _murderer_."

Jackie continued to struggle, but her small, skinny form was no match for the physically stronger spirit of spring. _Your words don't hurt me, your words don't hurt me, your words don't hurt me, _Jackie chanted in her head, though the tears were already beginning to well in her eyes.

"No!" she shouted. "I'm not. I don't _like_ killing people – it's just that stuff happens in winter! It's not my fault!"

"Of course it is!" Jasmine quickly countered. "You're the only one who brings winter to Earth, aren't you, Jacqueline?" Her green eyes hardened. "And don't _ever _spread snow in my season again, you hear?"

And then she was gone, only leaving a small, blooming white flower as any evidence that she was ever there.

Jackie breathed heavily, still stunned from Jasmine's hurtful words. Her arm was already beginning to show some signs of a bruise. She took an unconscious step back, her body already attempting to flee. But Jackie simply froze the flower and crushed it angrily under the butt of her staff. "Stupid Jasmine and her stupid words . . ." she mumbled, collapsing under a tree. "It's not true – none of it is. I'm not a killer."

The winter child lay down and closed her eyes, wrapping her cloak around her small frame. She slipped into a fitful slumber, not even aware of the cold tears sliding down her cheeks.

* * *

Twenty years went by, and Jackie started to form sort of friendship with Jacob, the autumn seasonal. True, he did get annoyed when there were a few early snowfalls, but he seemed to like her well enough. He wasn't insane like Jasmine.

"Hey, Jake – heads up!" Jackie crowed as she chucked a snowball at him.

The snow hit him in the back, and though Jackie couldn't see it, she knew that her magic was already going into effect. Jacob turned around, a welcoming smile on his face. His scythe hung limply at his side. "Jackie! I thought I'd be seeing you soon!" His grin became sly. "Is this snow because of Mother's orders?"

She scuffed her bare toes in the snow sheepishly. "No . . . I just wanted to say hi, and have some fun."

Jacob sheathed his weapon in the holder on his back. Scooping up a handful of his own snow, he replied, "Well, you've got me. Get ready!" He threw his snowball at Jackie, and she ducked, forming snowballs with her staff.

"Hey, gotta have ammo, right?" she asked with a mischievous grin at Jacob's outraged look. "It's not cheating if I can do it!"

"Unfair advantage," Jacob shouted, ducking from another snowball that Jackie threw. "You're a winter sprite!"

"But you're older," Jackie countered, sidestepping. "You _should _have better aim than this!" She threw a special kind of snowball at Jacob – a wet and slushy one. It hit his face with a satisfying _splat!_ and it slid down his cheek and onto the ground. "Ha!" she cheered, flying up a few inches in her excitement. "I got you!"

But he did nothing. He didn't move. "Jake?" Jackie asked, slowly sinking back down to the ground. "You okay?" She stepped closer, walking until she was right in front of him. "_Jake!"_

But then Jacob grinned wickedly and flashed out his scythe, fallen leaves swirling around the two seasonals. "Payback," he said. He twirled his weapon, and the leafnado became stronger.

Jackie flew quickly backwards, breaking through the wall of autumn leaves. "Oh, yeah. Now the game is finally beginning." She stood her ground about ten feet away, holding her staff.

"Get ready, Jackie!" Jacob yelled, slicing his scythe downwards. His brown eyes were determined, as he used his power to the fullest.

Jackie smiled and gripped her weapon tighter as the leaves blasted in her direction. Jackie sliced her staff in a deadly arc, Wind deflecting Jacob's attack. "Can't you do better than that?" she taunted, sending a volley of ice shards in his direction.

Jacob blocked smoothly, the ice bouncing off the blade of his scythe. But one sliver pierced his leg, and he stumbled, the leaves now fluttering harmlessly around the two of them.

Jackie gasped, quickly flying to his side. "Oh, Moon, I'm so sorry, Jake! Are you okay?" She viewed the autumn spirit as a big brother of some sort, and she really cared for him.

Jacob grunted, pulling the ice out of his thigh. "Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't deep."

She sighed in relief. "That's good." Then she looked at him, blue eyes meeting brown. "I'm so sorry," she said again, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I can't do anything but hurt people."

"No, Jackie, that's not true –" Jacob protested, but she interrupted.

"Yes, it is!" she shouted, her staff being coated with more frost in her agitation. "All of the other seasons are beautiful, but mine just brings suffering. No one _likes _winter, or _me!_" Jackie breathed heavily, her vision blurring.

She heard a clink, then felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her. "I like you," Jacob said simply. "You're like the little sister I never had."

Jackie hiccupped, leaning her forehead on his chest. "I always thought that too," she chuckled softly, her heart feeling warmed at his words. "You being my big brother."

Jacob laughed along with her. "You're still so young, Jackie." He held her at arm's length, smiling. "But I think you won our battle today. You're really strong for such a new spirit. You must have something very special inside."

"Thanks," she said, hugging him tightly.

"No prob," he said easily. After Jackie let go, he asked, "So, you wanna help me paint some leaves later? Fall's only halfway through!"

"Sure!" she readily agreed. "As long as we can have another snowball fight someday."

Jacob looped his arm through Jackie's. "Then come on! Let's go."

* * *

There was only one other Guardian that Jackie hadn't seen yet. He visited the children once a year, like the Easter Bunny, so there were fewer chances to see him.

Jackie had seen the bunny running around during Easter a couple times, spreading hand-painted eggs for the children to find. When he left, she would send down a light snowfall (just enough to dust the grass – she didn't want another Jasmine incident again) almost every year as a fun challenge for the kids. As far as she could tell, the children of Burgess loved it, and would have a snowball fight after egg hunting – courtesy of Jackie Frost and her magically-infused snow.

And when December rolled around, the kids would write letters to Santa Claus (or North, as the spirits called him), asking him for different presents. The winter sprite had sent letters after she heard about him for ten straight years, hoping that he would come visit her. After that decade passed, though, she gave up trying to contact him.

Instead, she decided to visit him at the North Pole.

Jackie never really got that far inside North's workshop, because the yetis would somehow know when she broke in. And then she was kicked out.

Jackie never gave up trying to catch a glimpse of North and toys that he made. Though she never saw him, she would hear his loud, booming voice shouting things in what she thought was Russian. Jackie would pop in randomly, never leaving any patterns to her "visits," hoping to catch the North's helpers by surprise. Obviously, she was always caught.

As Jackie came over more and more often, she began to get more familiar with the yetis. She now knew all of them by sight, and almost as much by name. But it was the yeti in charge – Phil – that she really developed a sort of friendship with, as the others didn't really approve of her. After she was caught the first fifteen times or so, Phil started giving her small gifts (like cookies or so) as he gently pushed her out the door.

But today was a bit different.

Jasmine had cornered her again, blathering on about how she was annoying Jacob with her little snowball fights. Jackie suspected that the spring spirit had a not-so-secret crush on the autumn seasonal, and thought that Jackie was a threat to what could be their possible "relationship." Jackie knew that Jacob was head-over-heels for someone else, though, but he would never tell her who.

Jackie had denied that she even liked Jacob that way, since he was like her brother, but Jasmine got all crazy again and attacked.

Jasmine shot whips of water at the winter sprite, leaving stinging welts on her body. Jackie tried freezing the liquid, but she was too slow for the spring seasonal's much faster reflexes. In the end, there was a huge storm of sleet as rain and snow mixed during the fight.

As for the people in Burgess – well, they were used to strange weather, so paid the odd phenomena no mind.

Jackie blocked whip after whip with her staff, her cloak already shredded from earlier attacks. Her body ached. "Jasmine!" she shouted, countering with a weak stream of frost. "I don't like Jacob in that way! Lay off, will ya?"

The manic glow in her green eyes only became stronger. "Jacob? This isn't just about Jacob. Maybe I just don't like you, _Jacqueline!_ Have you ever thought of that? This world doesn't even _need _winter!"

Jackie cried out in pain as she failed to block another attack from Jasmine. The whip of water struck her cheek hard, and she collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Her white hair hung in front of her eyes, but Jackie didn't care.

"Sweet dreams, Jacqueline," she heard Jasmine whisper before her eyes closed.

-oOoOoOo-

It was dark when Jackie awoke. Her head was still slightly fuzzy as bits and pieces of her fight with Jasmine came back to her. "Oh, Moon," she mumbled as she stood up, remembering her shredded cloak. Jackie sadly touched the fringe, rubbing it between her fingers. It was one of the few things that she owned, and she'd worn that for years!

Jackie gingerly raised her staff and summoned Wind, asking her to bring her north. _Phil, _she thought woozily. _I need to find Phil. _Her body screamed in protest as Wind gently lifted her into the air and took her to a place where she could rest and recover.

Santoff Claussen.

-oOoOoOo-

When Jackie arrived, Phil nearly died of a heart attack as he took in her bedraggled appearance – ripped clothing, red welts and dried blood covering her body, and an overall posture of brokenness. He immediately grabbed her skinny arm (choosing to ignore the flinch) and dragged her to the infirmary, instructing the child to stay in the bed as he made her new clothes. But Jackie merely blinked those big blue eyes at him, not understanding.

Phil sighed and ran a paw through the fur on his head, wondering how to tell her to stay still. In the end, he just tucked her under the white sheets, shocked at how small the girl seemed as she meekly lay in the bed, her lids already drooping.

Someday he would get the story out of her. But right now, he felt touched that Jackie went straight to him after being beaten down like that. She _trusted _him. And Phil knew that she didn't trust just anyone.

He walked down the hall and quietly informed the nearest yeti that Jackie Frost was in the infirmary, asleep and injured, and that she needed medical help straight away. Phil smiled as the yeti immediately nodded and rushed off in the direction of her room. Jackie didn't know it, but everyone looked forward to when she dropped by. She made the monotonous days in the workshop more enjoyable, creating mass "panic" as they worked.

Phil shoved open the doors of the sewing room, glancing around for materials. He wondered what a winter spirit would even _like _wearing, and if she'd even want something new. Jackie had been wearing the same clothes for a hundred and fifty years. It was possible that she was attached to the clothing. But he decided to make her something durable, something that could last for twice as long as her cloak and tunic.

It was the year 1862, and the design that Phil had in his head wasn't even something that humans had even _thought_ of yet. But they _were _a bit advanced here in Santoff Claussen.

Phil sat down at the nearest table and stitched pieces of thick blue fabric together. It was something similar to what humans would wear in the cold to keep them warm (which he thought was kind of funny, since Jackie was a _winter _seasonal). He added a hood for design, and tacked on a pocket in front for fun. When he held it up in front of him for inspection, he thought that it was a bit too large for Jackie's skinny frame, but it would do. Phil even made her a tank top to put underneath – light blue.

Phil made his way back to the infirmary and quietly opened the door. Jackie was still asleep in the bed, her silvery hair almost blending in with the pillow. The yeti he had sent in earlier clearly did his job, as strips of white cloths were wrapped around her injuries. A Band-Aid was on her cheek, where a deep cut was before.

He smiled gently at the sleeping girl. Jackie had a good soul. She still held a childish innocence, but a strong power resting deep inside.

Phil stepped next to her and set down the clothes at the foot of the bed. As he walked away, Jackie called out weakly, "Phil?"

He turned. She was attempting to sit up, clutching her staff, which he had left beside her. "You okay?" he asked.

She didn't answer, but instead glanced at the clothes he had left at her feet. Her blue eyes grew wider as she drank in the sight. "Are . . . are these for _me?_" Jackie said it like she'd never been given a real present before. For the first time, Phil became irritated with the Guardians. Jackie was a child, too. Her light was on the Globe to prove it. Where _were_ they for her?

Swallowing down his anger, Phil nodded.

Jackie seemed to _glow_ at his answer. "Thank you so much!" she said happily, her energy apparently returning to her battered body. She slowly removed her cloak and (after gesturing mock-angrily for him to turn around) he heard her remove her tunic as well.

"Well?" Jackie said. "How do I look?"

Phil shifted to face the girl, and he grinned proudly. Yes, the hoodie – which was the name he decided to give the article of clothing – was a bit large on her, but it made her look less scrawny than before. He gave her a thumbs-up, and she twirled around cheerfully. Frost designs were already decorating patches of the blue fabric.

"You're amazing!" she sang, happiness clearly showing in her blue eyes. Jackie then carefully hopped over to the window, glancing back at him as she unlatched it.

He nodded, getting what she was asking. _Can I leave?_

Jackie's smile returning, she waved at him and flung herself out the window.

_Jackie's one special girl,_ Phil thought, watching her form get smaller and smaller as she flew away. _It's a shame that no one tried to get to know her._

* * *

"_NOOOOO!_"

Jackie bolted upright, cold rivulets of sweat running down her face. She clutched her staff close, calming back down as its familiar weight registered with her.

"It was just a nightmare," she whispered. But it had seemed _so real._ It was probably because it was so similar to her real life. Yes, she did have Jacob and Phil, but they were the only people who liked her.

Jackie shuddered as she recalled her dream. It was just like the night she was born. But this time, more and more people kept walking through her, and she _didn't know why._ It was awful.

But sadly, nightmares were a part of her daily life. Occasionally, she would sleep dreamlessly or be gifted with a beautiful golden dream by the Sandman, but the realm of unconsciousness was a place she definitely feared. Jackie would sometimes go days without sleeping to avoid the terrible dreams, but when exhaustion took over her body – the nightmares would become worse, as if they were trying to punish her from even trying to get rid of them.

Her other dreams consisted of darkness, with a cold, cruel laugh echoing around her. And she dreamed of dying. Jackie wasn't afraid of death itself, but the fact that she would fade without a single _human_ person seeing her.

But her list of fears was only added on to, when she came face-to-face with the Guardians of Childhood and asked to become one of them . . . one-hundred-sixty years later.

* * *

Well, here's the end of Interlude II. A bit of warning: updates might slow down a _lot_ after the next chapter, 'cause of . . . y'know, school. I'm gonna be a freshman! I feel so _oooooold_. :)

Until next time!


	7. Shattered Reality

Thanks so much for the positive reception regarding the last chapter! It meant so much to me.

And oh, what's this? Another chapter so soon? I'm so proud of myself.

Thank you to **Harrison Orion Black** and **The Kid-Zoom **for the favorites!

For following: **DixieFictionPad**, **Miss CannelRolls**, **The Kid-Zoom**, and **silver-eyedLadyofDarkness**.

And to my amazing reviewers:** Dreamer558750**, **setsuna1415**, **Ern Estine 13624**, **Roseflame Crystalheart**, **White Hunter**, **guardianofdragonlore**, **Guest**, and **Bloody-Asphode11**.

**Reader Responses:**

**Dreamer558750: **Oh, it was? That just makes me even more excited for this year.

**setsuna1415: **Then my work here is done. :) No, seriously, I'm glad you're enjoying this story. Your positive responses just make me write faster because I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say. And . . . this chapter might make you cry as well. Just a warning.

**White Hunter: **They'll make it up to her . . . in time.

**guardianofdragonlore: **Ack, I'm sorry for mentioning it! But I think you know what this chapter's gonna be about now.

**Guest: **Oh, you're gonna be a freshman too? Then, luck to both of us! And about my other stories . . . hehehe. I'm actually kind of embarrassed by some of them, save for _As Long As We're Together._ But thank you for the compliment.

**Bloody-Asphode11: **Um, yes. I think I am. I'm kind of bad at villains, so I either make them totally evil, or - yeah, extremely evil. :)

* * *

"The heart can get really cold if all you've known is winter."  
― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, _Last Night I Sang to the Monster_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Shattered Reality**

* * *

Jackie poked her head out of the opening of the tunnel. She needed to make sure that she and Baby Tooth had actually _gotten _to Burgess, because Pennsylvania was quite a distance from Australia. But when she saw the familiar gleaming ice on her pond, Jackie sighed in relief. She was home.

She flew down the trail to the Bennett's house. The sky was dark, like the last time she and the Guardians were here. Jackie only hoped that Sophie wasn't missing for _too _long. The police would have a field day if the girl started chattering about "Easter Bunny, hop, hop, hop!"

With Baby Tooth's help, they phased through the window of Sophie's room. Jackie set down her staff in the corner, and awkwardly made her way to the bed. Sophie was clinging tightly to the winter sprite's neck, even in sleep, and it made it hard to untangle the mess of limbs. But after a few moments of struggling, Jackie managed to pry the little girl off her neck, and drop her onto the bed. Jackie turned to leave, but Sophie murmured something and rolled off the bed. She reached out her arm uselessly to try to catch her, but she cringed as Sophie hit the ground. Baby Tooth was equally mortified.

"Sophie, is that you?"

Jackie gasped as Mrs. Bennett's voice floated up from downstairs. Though she knew that the woman wouldn't be able to see them, they needed to get out quickly. Thinking fast, Jackie threw a fleecy blanket on Sophie, and after a moment of hesitation, a squeaky stuffed lamb.

Jackie grabbed her staff, and Baby Tooth passed them both through the window. They carefully peered back in to make sure that Sophie was okay. "We should get back," Jackie said softly, looking at the little fairy.

Then . . .

A soft, feminine voice echoed across the night sky. "_Jackie!_"

She swiveled away from Baby Tooth. "T-that voice – I _know _that voice," Jackie murmured to herself, her mission now firmly planted in her mind. She needed to find out who was calling her.

"_Jackie?"_

She turned, now knowing a direction to go in. Jackie shot into the air, leaving a trail of flurries (and Baby Tooth) behind. When she neared the edge of town, she landed on a roof, looking around worriedly. Where had the voice gone?

"_Jackie!"_ The voice had taken a sing-song tone, and . . . it was coming from the forest. There.

As she flew, Jackie could hear the nervous twittering of Baby Tooth behind her. She descended cautiously in the woods, feeling slightly wary of the dense fog rolling in. But Jackie _needed _to find the girl who called out her name with such love and familiarity.

Jackie walked deeper into the forest, ignoring Baby Tooth's anxious chirps and the insistent tugging of her hood. "Don't worry," she said distractedly, brushing off the mini-tooth's concerns. "There's still time." The Guardians hadn't given her a set time to come back, right? But her mind was strangely fuzzy as the voice called to her.

Jackie's eyes locked onto the broken, battered bedframe partially hidden in shadows. The sun was beginning to creep up into the sky, lighting up the area. She moved closer, wondering why this of all things was out here. It was situated over a dark hole, and Jackie couldn't tell how deep it went. But the voice called out again, and the curiosity was replaced with a burning feeling of _need._

She determinedly slammed the butt of her staff on the weakest strip of wood, repeating her actions until part of the frame broke. Without hesitation, Jackie jumped into the darkness.

She and Baby Tooth made their way through the tunnel, weaving around stalactites and stalagmites. Baby Tooth was still squeaking, trying to convince Jackie to go back up to the surface.

"B-baby – Baby Tooth, I have to find out what that is!" she insisted. Then her eyes widened as she reached the end of the passageway and took in her surroundings. This place was dark, dank, and filled with a malevolent chill. Jackie shuddered. This wasn't the type of cold she liked.

Then, hopeful chirps echoed throughout the cavern. Jackie heard the sound of thousands of fluttering wings brushing metal. Baby Tooth's sisters . . . this was Pitch's lair.

Jackie flew up to the cages, nervously shushing the mini-teeth. "Keep it down," she whispered urgently. She couldn't let Pitch know that she was here. "I'll get you out of here as soon . . ."

"_Jackie?" _asked the familiar voice again.

". . . as I can . . ." Jackie trailed off, the voice sidetracking her from helping the fairies.

Jackie gripped the bars of the cage she was hanging onto, and gasped as she realized the _tooth boxes _were laying oh-so-innocently on the ground. Her memories were here! She could find her memories without the Guardians, and they'd be so proud when she told them she found Pitch's lair.

But first . . .

Jackie hopped down and anxiously pawed through the millions of teeth canisters, searching for hers. She heard Baby Tooth tweeting from the cage she had just abandoned, clearly saying, _Get back here!_

But Jackie ignored her friend and scanned the unfamiliar faces painted on the discarded tooth boxes. None of them rang any bells in her mind, but she needed to be thorough. She could easily skip over her precious memories if –

"Looking for something?"

Jackie flinched violently. _Pitch. _She quickly shot a blast of ice from her staff at the growing black shadow on the wall behind her, but he dodged the attack, leisurely moving along in the dark.

Jackie ran up the stairs and flipped up a wall, angrily searching for the Nightmare King. He still needed to pay for hurting Sandy.

"Don't be afraid, Jacqueline. I'm not going to hurt you . . ."

There he was. Pitch was walking across a nearby path, his back facing her. Jackie leaped across a crack and skidded, almost colliding with a wall. "Afraid?" she panted. "I'm not afraid of you." Jackie pointed her staff threateningly at Pitch's back. She was ready for anything that he threw at her.

"Maybe not," Pitch mused. He kept walking at his slow pace, and she followed closely behind.

"Think so, huh?" she demanded.

"I know so!" Pitch almost seemed to _laugh _as he said his answer. "It's the one thing I _always _know," he said, looking over his shoulder at Jackie. "People's greatest fears . . . _Yours _is that _no one _will _ever _believe in you!"

She gasped, stumbling away from Pitch like she had been punched. And she might as well have been – having her greatest and most private fear being thrown so blatantly in her face. The shadows around her grew and snaked around her bare feet, and then she fell through the ground, yelping as her small form tumbled around.

Jackie landed roughly on a stone floor, rolling with her momentum. Her palms were stinging when she scrabbled fearfully away from Pitch's disembodied voice.

"And worst of all, you're afraid you'll _never know why._"

Jackie wanted to scream. She stood and ran blindly away, slamming into another wall hidden in the dark. She wanted to get out of here. She _needed _to run – because running was what she was good at. It helped her escape her fears . . . although this seemed to be her worst nightmare.

"Why you?" Pitch asked softly. "_Why _were you chosen? To be like this?"

Jackie's hands were trembling as she held her staff. Then she whimpered softly as Pitch's menacing form appeared in front of her. She pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself even smaller than she already was.

"But fear not," he whispered silkily. "For the answer to that is right here," he said, pulling a golden object from under his robes. Jackie straightened, looking in disbelief at what Pitch was holding out to her. "Do you want them, Jacqueline? Your memories?"

Jackie glanced down at her tooth box, and the face painted on it. Though the hair and eyes were brown, that was most definitely . . . _her._ As if in a trance, she reached out her hand to grab it, but then hesitated. Now that her memories were within reach, did she really want them? Was it worth betraying the Guardians for Pitch?

No. She couldn't. They meant too much to her.

At her indecision, Pitch snatched the golden canister away, laughing as he escaped back to the shadows. Jackie jumped down to a lower level, following the sound of his laughter. She raced down the steps, spotting his shadow on the wall alongside her.

"Everything you wanted to know . . . in this little box." Pitch's shadow held out the container teasingly, but then disappeared again into another section of his lair.

"How _did _you end up like this?" Pitch wondered, though she could still hear the wicked undertone in his words. "Unseen, unable to reach out to anyone. _Unloved._"

Jackie reached the end of the stairs, but then Pitch's shadow multiplied. "You want the answers _so _badly. You want to grab them and fly off with them." Jackie circled around, looking for any sign of his reappearance. "But you're afraid of what the _Guardians _will think. You're afraid of _disappointing _them."

She gripped her staff so hard that her knuckles became white. She was so _tired _of this! She _hated _Pitch, _hated _that he knew all her fears, _hated _that she was so vulnerable –

"But let me ease your mind about one thing – they'll _never _accept you. Not really. All those words about you being part of their family? _Lies,_" Pitch hissed.

Jackie shut her eyes tightly and pressed her hands on either side of her head. She was only vaguely aware of her staff digging into her temple as she screamed out, "_STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!" _

They _promised _her! They _told _her that she was their _family! _It couldn't all be a lie.

It couldn't . . .

"After all," Pitch crooned, finally coming out of the shadows, "you're not one of them."

"You don't know _what _I am," Jackie spat, pointing her staff. Behind her, Pitch's own Globe of Believers spun sadly.

"Of course I do!" Pitch said genially, like they were two friends just throwing insults at each other. "You're Jack Frost! Or . . . Jacqueline, as you're less known." He moved closer, his smirk growing with each step. "You make a mess wherever you go! In fact, you're doing it right now." Pitch tossed something at her, Jackie reflexively reaching out to catch the object. Her eyes widened as she realized she was holding her tooth box.

"What did you do?" she asked in horror.

"More to the point, Jacqueline," Pitch said, walking away, "what did _you _do?" His golden eyes flashed in the dark as he disappeared.

Jackie raced to where he vanished, her staff glowing with bright blue energy. It crackled with each swing, as she hoped that she could get a good whack in. She turned around in the dark and slammed into yet another wall. Jackie pounded her fists against it, but then stepped back at seeing the familiar insignia. _The Warren. _She wasn't in Pitch's lair anymore.

"Baby Tooth!" she yelled, realizing that the little fairy wasn't with her.

"_Happy Easter, Jacqueline,"_ Pitch's voice said softly, as she took in the sight of shattered eggshells scattered along the tunnel.

"No . . ." she whispered. Bunny!

She ran over the shells and up through the tunnel opening.

* * *

Bunny peered anxiously through the foliage, watching the kids search for eggs. After Jack had left, Pitch's Nightmares had stormed through the Warren, destroying _everything_. He and the others had fought hard, but it was the sheer overwhelming numbers that had defeated them. Bunny hated to admit it, but he wished Jack had stayed to help. He could've easily destroyed those Nightmares.

But now, there was nothing for the children to find.

"There aren't any eggs," a girl said sadly.

"There's nothing here," another added.

"I don't understand!" a boy burst out, frustrated.

"Maybe he just hid them really well this year," this first girl reasoned, thought Bunny could feel her hope slipping away.

"I've looked everywhere! There's nothing," said the boy, after he looked behind a bush.

Bunny took this as his cue to rush out and save the day. "Yes, there is!" he said desperately, holding out his basket filled with only a few of his eggs. "Ah'll admit, these aren't mah best-lookin' googies, but they'll do in a pinch," he said, looking at the two children.

"I can't believe it!" the red-haired girl sighed morosely, sliding off the picnic table.

"Ah – Ah know, but –"

"There's no such thing as the Easter Bunny."

Bunny stared into her dark blue eyes, watching as the last bit of belief and Hope disappeared. "No, no." He hopped around, looking at the other children walking away. "Wrong – not true! Ah'm right in front of ya, mate –!" he pleaded, but then a little boy passed through him.

Bunny's eyes widened. He'd never felt anything like this before. He was the _Easter Bunny! _Children _believed _in him, but he had been passed through for the first time. This couldn't be real . . . right?

"They don't see me," he whispered. "They don't see me . . ." His ears drooped as he sank down slowly to his knees, blown away by the crushing realization.

Tooth flew over to comfort him, saying, "There are probably other children in the world who believe," she said optimistically. "We'll just have to leave England, and –"

"Jackie!" North boomed. "Where _were _you?"

Bunny and Tooth turned at the sudden noise. _Jack's here?_

"The Nightmares . . . attacked the tunnels. They _smashed_ every egg, _crushed _every basket – _nothing _made it to the surface," North said_, _gripping his swords tightly. The loss of the children's belief had affected him first. Now, North was beginning to feel his age. He could barely move without grunting in pain.

Tooth flew over, yelling, "Jackie!" Then her eyes widened in horror as she spotted something in his hands. "Where did you get that?"

Bunny watched as Jack glanced down at his right, seemingly surprised that he was holding it. "I was . . . it's . . ." he mumbled, weakly protesting.

"Where's Baby Tooth?" she demanded.

When Jack didn't answer, Tooth's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, Jackie . . . what have you done?" She flew backwards, away from the boy, as if she was . . . _afraid _of him.

"_That _is why you weren't here?" North bellowed. "You were with _Pitch?_"

Bunny stood up and stormed in their direction. Siding with the enemy was unforgivable. Jack had probably been working with Pitch all this time, earning their trust, their friendship – no. Bunny had thought that he had found a friend in Jack Frost, but he was a **_traitor_**_. _Bunny couldn't _believe _that he had fallen for Frost's trap. The boy was so innocent and so childlike.

But now he knew. Jack had finally shown his true colors.

"No, no, _listen!_" Frost pleaded with them. "I'm _sorry._"

Bunny's eyes narrowed. _Sorry that you got caught._

"I didn't mean for this to happen!" Jack burst out.

"He has to go," Bunny said coldly, cutting off any more of the boy's pleas.

Jack turned. "Wha –?"

Bunny raised his fist, ready to pummel the damn spirit into oblivion. "We should _never _have trusted you!" he roared, slamming his fist into Jack's cheek. Jack stumbled back and tripped over his feet, falling. His shoulders were trembling with fear as pure fear filled his blue, blue eyes.

Maybe that's what made Bunny not strike again. No matter how traitorous Frost was, Bunny still cared for him. And that angered the Pooka. "Easter is . . . new beginnings. New life. And that's how I saw _you, _Jack. Easter is about _hope_ – and now it's gone."

Bunny turned away from the spirit of winter, refusing to look back, even when Jack whispered, "Maybe I shouldn't have trusted _you_, either."

Wind rustled the leaves.

Snowflakes fell from the sky.

* * *

Jamie tiptoed on the ladder, trying to grab an egg from the gutter lining his roof. But the ten-year-old was too small, and he lost his balance, the ladder falling along with him. The egg that Jamie had tried to get bounced off the deck of his house and rolled in front of his face.

The flash of bright color that Jamie had seen on his roof wasn't an egg . . . it was a tennis ball.

But Jamie refused to be hindered by this. He _knew _that he saw the Easter Bunny in his room (along with Santa Claus, th e Tooth Fairy, and the Sandman) last night. It wasn't a dream, because his mother had asked this morning why his alarm clock went off.

"Come on," he insisted, hopping up and brushing himself off. Scooping up his basket, he said, "Let's check the park again."

"Really?" Claude asked, annoyed. "For the _Easter Bunny?_"

"I told you," Jamie said, "I _saw _him, and he's _way _bigger than I thought." He jumped and raised his arms for effect. "He's got these cool boomerang things, and –"

"Grow up, Jamie," Caleb sighed.

His five friends stood in front of him, making a wall of gloom.

"What's happened to you guys?" Jamie asked, eyes widening with concern.

"It was a _dream!_" Caleb said. "You should be happy you still _get _dreams like that." His face was full of dejection. "And not . . ." He looked helplessly at Cupcake.

"Nightmares," she finished, turning away from Jamie.

Pippa dropped the fallen tennis ball into Jamie's basket. "Forget it, Jamie," she said sadly. "There's just no Easter this year."

"He really is real!" he shouted after his leaving friends. Then he stared at the lone object in his basket. "I know he is." The tennis ball rolled around.

* * *

The yetis watched as the last remaining lights on the Globe of Believers blinked out. None of them noticed a fading light racing down south.

* * *

Jackie fled from England and flew to a place where she knew she'd never be bothered. Not Burgess, definitely _not _the North Pole, but Antarctica. Her feet sank into the cold snow, and she ran to a cliff, pulling out that stupid tooth box from her pocket. She was fully prepared to throw it away as she neared the edge, but . . . she couldn't.

These were her memories from before. Jackie still wanted them, even though they had caused all of the good things in her life to vanish. Besides her staff, Wind, and the clothes on her back, the box was all she had left. Jackie stared at the diamond pattern on the box, then at the cheerfully smiling girl painted on the front. That was really her?

Then Jackie's arm dropped as she heard the voice that she hated the most.

"I thought that this might happen," Pitch said. "They never really believed in you. I was just trying to show you that."

Jackie ground her teeth harder with each sentence.

"But I understand."

That statement was what set her off. Sending out the strongest blast of ice she could, she ran toward Pitch and flipped over his head, repeatedly attacking. "You don't understand _anything!_" Jackie screamed, blind with rage.

"No?" Pitch shouted back. "_I _don't know what it's like to be cast out?" He slammed a wave of nightmare sand at her, but she rolled out of the way, shooting into the sky and slashing her staff into the air. Jackie yelled as her power channeled into her weapon, zigzagging toward Pitch.

But he raised his hands up and blocked her attack, a fine mist settling around them.

"To not be believed in?" Pitch continued. Then his voice grew softer, more . . . compassionate. "To long for . . . a _family._" He looked so broken and lost. Jackie lowered her staff at those last words. Right now, she could sympathize with the man.

"All those years in the shadows," he said softly, "I thought, 'No one else knows what this feels like.' But now, I see that I was wrong." Pitch held out his hand to her, and she lowered her staff all the way. "We don't have to be alone, Jacqueline. _I _believe in you, and I know children will too!" He walked closer to Jackie and stopped by her side.

Jackie couldn't believe her ears. "In _me?_"

"Yes!" Pitch said, raising up his arms. He laid a hand on her shoulder (though it didn't feel as comforting as Tooth – no. Don't think about her), and gestured to something that Jackie hadn't noticed before. "Look at what we can do!"

A jagged sculpture of ice towered above them, black sand mixed with the cold. It kind of . . . scared her.

"What goes better together than _cold _and _dark?_" Pitch walked away from her, his voice echoing around them. Jackie stared at her reflection in the ice – her short white hair, her blue eyes, and the slowly forming bruise on her cheek. "We can make them believe!" Pitch shouted triumphantly. "We'll give them a world where everything – _everything _is–"

"Pitch Black?" Jackie interrupted, glaring at him.

"And Jackie Frost, too," Pitch assured her. "They'll believe in both of us."

"No," Jackie said, her glare becoming icier. "They'll _fear _both of us. And that's _not _what I want," she said, shaking her head. "Now for the last time, leave me alone." She walked away from Pitch, away from the terrifying truth of her powers, and the temptation that she had admittedly felt earlier, when he talked about . . . a family.

"Very well. You want to be left alone? _Done,_" Pitch responded darkly._ "_But first . . ."

Jackie froze. She didn't like the way he said those last two words. Then, she heard a familiar twittering. Whirling around, she shouted fearfully, "Baby Tooth!"

The little fairy's colorful plumage shone so brightly against the dead gray of Pitch's fist. He clenched Baby Tooth's tiny body tighter as Jackie came closer. She held up her staff.

"The staff, Jacqueline!" Pitch roared, looking at the weapon hungrily.

But she gripped it tighter. There was _no _way she would give Pitch her staff.

"You have a bad habit of interfering," he said. "Now hand it over, and I'll let her go."

Baby Tooth squeaked in fear, shaking her head. _Don't, Jackie!_

Jackie growled, weighing her options in her head. She couldn't leave Baby Tooth to die . . . not after she abandoned her last time. But she also couldn't give up her staff. It was the source of her powers. But in the end, she relinquished her hold on her staff. Baby Tooth was more important.

When Pitch snatched it from her hand, the beautiful frost designs that had decorated the staff instantly disappeared, the wood now powerless and dead without her energy flowing through it. Already, Jackie's hands felt empty. "All right," she said, holding out her hand. "Now let her go."

Pitch stared easily at her. "No," he said simply, and Jackie's eyes widened. He . . . he lied her. And she had had _enough _at being lied to today! "You wanted to be left alone, so _be alone!"_

Baby Tooth then sank her pointy little beak into Pitch's thumb. He yelped in pain, but then threw the fairy over the same cliff Jackie planned to throw her memories into. "No!" she shouted, watching helplessly as Baby Tooth disappeared over the ledge.

But the pain wasn't over yet. Pitch immediately snapped her staff in two, grinning maliciously at the action. Jackie's hands flew to her chest and screamed in agony. When he broke that staff, she could feel her heart – no, her _soul – _being ripped apart. Whatever happened to it happened to her.

Then Pitch flung a strong wave of nightmare sand at her, slamming her body into a glacier. Jackie's back arched in pain, and she dropped into the ravine. She struggled to look up, and saw Pitch's form above her. He laughed cruelly, and then dropped the remaining bits of her faithful weapon next to her.

Jackie was now as broken as the staff by her side.

She struggled to move herself off the wall, but then spotted Baby Tooth's limp body lying in the snow. "Baby Tooth!" she gasped, crawling over to her friend. Jackie cradled the fairy in her hands. "Are you all right?" Then she jumped as Baby Tooth stirred, then sneezed, looking at Jackie apologetically.

Jackie sighed. She certainly couldn't help Baby Tooth feel warm while they were in Antarctica. "I'm sorry. All I can do is keep you cold." She shifted herself around to go on her knees. "Pitch was right," Jackie said bitterly. "I make a mess of everything."

She ruined Easter for the world, unknowingly betrayed the Guardians, and when she tried to help Baby Tooth, she managed to become powerless and hurt the same person that she tried to protect.

Baby Tooth had been hugging herself for warmth, but then hopped out of Jackie's hands and into her hoodie pocket. "Hey!" Jackie said in surprise. But then a small frown worked its way onto her face. Baby Tooth needed to be warm to survive, but that was the one thing that Jackie couldn't provide.

She scooted herself back to the cliff wall and curled up against it. Her eyes closed. There was nothing she could do for them now. Now she could only wait – wait for the rest of eternity.

"_Jackie?_ _Jaaackie . . ._"

A golden glow emanated from her hoodie pocket.

Jackie leaped back in shock. It was the voice again. What . . . ? What was going on? She reached inside her pocket and pulled out her tooth box. The diamond patterns seemed even more inviting this time, but she hesitated. What if she messed up everything again by looking at her memories? But Baby Tooth hopped out of her pocket and placed her tiny hand onto the box's lid. She smiled and nodded reassuringly.

Jackie placed her fingers onto the shapes at Baby Tooth's encouragement . . . and her vision blurred as she was sucked into her memories.

* * *

A short chapter, because I thought this would be a good place to stop.

And also, HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY, PERCY JACKSON! I couldn't believe I forgot to mention it last chapter . . .

Until next time!


	8. Who I Am

Hello, everyone! I'm back, with another update of _Frosted Ferns _because my birthday's tomorrow! I thought I'd give you amazing people a present for this special day. :) Cuz when _isn't _82 follows, 59 favorites, and 55 reviews a reason to make a girl celebrate? (And also, I actually found some free time hiding in the corner!)

Thank you to **Emylound**, **TheMadnessWithin13**, **bribri16**, **Drake Azure Saber**, **Introverted-Verses**, **Pamelasilos**, **mysticzephyra, becky199756**, **Lucy's Echos**, **1827alouette6927**, **Emo Dragon 7**, **TheGlobalFlower**, **libby . brinkmann . 7 **(sorry for expanding your pen name, but FanFiction just doesn't seem to like names with dots in them), **JellOtaku**, **catsrulegirl**, **Naomi Pictogreen**, and **SelasVictoria **for the favorites!

For following: **Arsenal18**, **BATMANMELTSI**, **CookieMonster9780**, **Emylound**, **TheMadnessWithin13**, **alwaysstaygray**, **bribri16**, **imjusttesting123**, **silver-eyedLadyofDarkness**, **BionicVampireDragonGuardian1**, **Introverted-Verses**, **Pamelasilos**, **calicat197**, **mysticzephyra**, **becky199756**, **kitty . 0**, **Lucy's Echos**, **Ms . Big. Artiste .**, **1827alouette6927**, **Emo Dragon 7**, **Shadowkiller50**, **TheGlobalFlower**, **libby . brinkmann . 7**, **JellOtaku**, **Naomi Pictogreen**, **SelasVictoria**, and **Leikaru**!

And to my lovely reviewers: **Ern Estine 13624**, **guardianofdragonlore**, **Dreamer558750**, **RandomReader**, **Guest**, **White Hunter**, **kitty . 0**, **shaneEgirlo**, and **SelasVictoria**!

**Reader Responses:**

**guardianofdragonlore**: I'm making Bunny seem like such a buttnugget in this, aren't I? In reality, I really love the big kangaroo (no matter how many feelings of hate may arise in this fanfic).

**RandomReader**: I'm glad you thought they were wonderful! Every positive review to this story means the world to me. And yup - life can be extremely busy, right? I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last updated . . .

**White Hunter**: Thank you for your continuous support during this whole story! If I'm counting right, you've been steadily reviewing every single chapter. xXxMystical-DreamerxXx, happily singing your name to everyone and the spirits! (See what I did there?)

**kitty . 0**: I know, it's hilarious, isn't it?

**shaneEgirlo**: I was wondering where you went. :) There's definitely going to be some tension between Bunny and Jackie after the Easter incident. The ways that it could happen are twisting around in my head.

**SelasVictoria**: Thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter as well.

**WARNINGS:**

This chapter's a bit shorter compared to my other ones, and there's a switch to present tense somewhere in the italics, but read on!

* * *

"Winter is a season of recovery and preparation."  
– Paul Theroux

* * *

**Chapter Six: Who I Am**

* * *

_"__Jackie . . . what have you done?"_

Tooth still remembered the words she said to the winter spirit, and – she shuddered just thinking about it – the shattered look that became present in Jackie's eyes when she was accused of betraying the Guardians.

Tooth should've _known._ She should've _said _something! Tears welled in her eyes at the regret she felt at sending Jackie away. Emotions were running high, Easter had just been ruined, and the Guardians were just looking for someone to blame.

The few moments that Tooth had spent with her _proved_ that Jackie was unswervingly loyal. Under that mischievous smirk, Jackie was unbelievably kind and _warm _for a winter seasonal. The cold wind blowing around her feathers reminded Tooth of the ever-present breeze that seemed to cling around the girl, and it made Tooth's heart ache even more. Jackie _trusted _them to take care of her, and they had broken that trust. What kind of people were they?

They had abandoned one of their own.

"We didn't even give her a chance to explain!" Tooth lamented, wringing her hands. "We just assumed the worst of her . . ."

"I know, Toothy, but we can't worry about _Jack _now," North said, putting extra emphasis on Jackie's alias. "We can still stop Pitch, with or without him."

"Ah say 'without,'" Bunny grumbled from behind the two. "The bloody traitor's the one who ruined Easter, remember?"

"But –" Then Tooth stopped. Bunny still didn't know about Jackie. Tooth bit her lip and thought, _I'll make it up to you, Sweet Tooth. Don't you worry. _She would keep the winter spirit's secret for as long as she needed.

"We don't even know _why_ Jack had his memories," Tooth argued instead, turning around in the sleigh to face Bunny. "Pitch could've –" She stopped speaking and stared at her friend. "Um, Bunny? You take a look at yourself recently?"

"Whaddya mean?"

Tooth held one of Bunny's paws gently. "You're – uh, a _bit _smaller than what you're used to."

Bunny's cry of outrage was lost when they were sucked into North's snowglobe portals to the Pole.

* * *

_She dances around the yard, smiling and waving at her mother and sister._

There Jackie was, brown-haired, brown-eyed, and . . . _definitely _human_._ She was wearing the same clothes that she had on when she rose from the pond that night. Her hair was longer than it was now, but she _knew_ that the dancing girl was _her –_ Jacqueline Frost.

Then Jackie frowned. No. Human Jackie's last name was _Overland. _As she continued watching the scenes play out like a movie (she had snuck into a couple theaters over the years), little snippets of additional memories began to pop into her head.

_"__You can't have fun all the time, Jacqueline," her mother calls out disapprovingly, but the little girl next to her giggles._

_Jackie takes the girl's hand and twirls her around, pretending that she was a beautiful princess in the warm spring air._

Emeline was her mother's name. A bit strict, a bit stern, a bit uptight, but she was Jackie's mother. The same woman who tucked her in at night, sang lullabies with a sweet voice when she was sick, and who loved her unconditionally . . .

Mama.

And that little girl – Jackie's eyes widened as both sets of memories, human and immortal clashed. Both of her selves knew that girl.

Immortal Jackie knew her as Emma, the daily visitor to the pond. The one who cried. The one who gave her the snowflake pendant that was resting around her neck.

But Human Jackie knew her as Emma, _her little sister. _The person that Jackie swore to protect with her life. Emma, who Jackie named after their mother. _Emma_, who was all smiles, and never failed to brighten up everyone's day.

Emma, who Jackie missed even now . . .

The scene changed.

_Jackie hangs from a tree with her legs. Her arms are dangling freely, and she smiles and waves at the three kids below, swinging slightly to amuse them. It's taken her a while to be able to climb a tree with her skinny arms, and a bit longer to work up the courage to trust herself not to fall. _

_But if something was fun, there was no doubt that she learn how to do it – no matter how long it took._

_"__Jackie, get down from there!" Emma laughs._

_Jackie's always wanted to teach Emma how to climb trees. That's mainly the reason she stopped wearing dresses. She couldn't do anything fun with an annoying skirt hanging around her ankles. Some of her friends (mainly, _Emma's _friends) and the village kids have taken to calling her "Jack" when she showed up one day with pants and shorter hair._

Now, it was night, and Human Jackie was performing a show for the children.

_Everyone had finished eating about an hour ago, and the village children asked Jackie to tell them a story. So she chooses one of Emma's favorites – _The Story of Cupid and Psyche_. Jackie puts a set of moose antlers on her head to introduce the character of what Psyche thought Cupid looked like. Smiling, she calls Emma up to the stage to play the part of Psyche. _

_Jackie's told her this story so many times that she can recite it in her sleep._

Jackie's vision blurred again, but this time she was in a dress instead of her brown pants and tunic. It was pretty and blue, but it felt strange and foreign. Then she remembered – she didn't exactly enjoy wearing dresses that much.

_She slips off her shoes and socks. If she had to wear a dress today, then she sure wasn't going to wear shoes. She tucks them into a hollow tree and runs deeper into the woods. This year she was going to find him._

So Human Jackie was running through the woods, searching for . . . for _someone_. Immortal Jackie couldn't recall who exactly, but she knew that this memory was _important_, so she lingered a bit longer on this one.

Then she laughed aloud as her memory-self punched a very familiar-looking "person," with fluffy gray fur and intense green eyes.

_"__Who – what are you?" Jackie demands, glaring from her rather embarrassing position on the floor._

_The rabbit chuckles. "Name's E. Aster Bunnymund. Ah'm the –"_

_"__Wait, your name's Easter?" she laughs, her fear beginning to fade. _

_"__Easter" looks affronted. "No – it's Aster Bunnymund, but you can call me Bunny, or Bunnymund. Ah'm the Easter Bunny."_

Jackie stared at the scene in shock. Her past self was _friends _with the _Easter Kangaroo?_

The scene seemed to skip a few hours, as the sky was now an inky black.

_ "__Ah'll be seein' ya next year, anyway, Jackie," Bunny says offhandedly, twirling his boomerang around._

_"__You – you mean, you'll be coming back?" She holds her breath. _

_Bunny grins. "Of course, Jackie. Ah'll need to check up on ya after you're married, and 'ave little ankle-bitahs of your own."_

Jackie was confused for a moment by this. How old was she when she met Bunnymund? She thought for a moment.

Oh, right. She was seventeen.

The same physical age that she was now . . .

_"The words 'best friends' do sound nice," Bunny admits, smiling. "It's been a while since I actually talked to someone about stuff."_

_She smiles back. "Yup," she says. "Best friends." Then she tiptoes and presses a light kiss to his cheek as a thank you. To her, it kind of feels like when she would kiss Emma's hair. Then she turns away and runs home, waving. _

I want him to come back, _she finds herself thinking as she runs. Because when they talked, it felt like that she'd known him forever. Having someone besides Emma (not that she didn't love the little girl to death) to talk to was amazing. _Bunny _was amazing._

Jackie pushed on with the rest of her memories, feeling conflicted about her memory self's feelings about the Easter Bunny. What did that kiss mean?

_"__Be careful," her mother says worriedly, looking out the door of the house. Last Easter, when Jackie met Bunny, her mother agreed that she and Emma could go skating as soon as the ice freezes. But now Jackie could tell that she's regretting her decision. _

_Jackie balances her pair of ice-skates on her shoulder and chuckles as Emma eagerly pulls her along. _

_"__We will!" she promises, giving their mother a confident smile. There is no way she would let Emma get hurt._

Jackie watched with building trepidation during the next scene. She had a bad feeling about this . . .

_Jackie and Emma are on the ice. Emma's proudly using the skates that Santa (er, _North, _according to the Easter Kangaroo)_ _had given her for Christmas, but Jackie had removed her own skates earlier. She found it more fun to try and balance on the slippery ice without a firm grip. Jackie laughs and spins on her toes, but then an ear-splitting BOOM echoes across the sky. _

_Jackie freezes. _Emma, _she thinks._

_She looks over at her sister, who is frozen to her spot in fear. The ice is cracking. _

_Jackie crouches down slowly, and sets down her staff, meeting Emma's frightened brown eyes. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't look down," she says, inadvertently glancing down at the fractured ice under Emma's feet, "j-just look at me."_

_There are no words to describe the fear she has right now._

_"__Jackie, I'm scared," Emma whispers, trembling._

_"__I know, I know," she replies, taking a nervous step forward. How could Jackie think about her own fear when her little sister was absolutely terrified? _"I need to get to Emma" _is the next thought that runs through her head. The ice creaks under her feet, but still holds. _

_"__But you're gonna be all right, you're not going to fall in," Jackie says reassuringly, holding out her hands in a placating gesture. She wasn't sure whether she was speaking to herself or to her sister. "Um . . . we're gonna have a little fun instead!" _

Jackie can clearly see that her human self is trying to keep Emma's mind off of the fear. Anything but. Emma needed to be distracted.

_But instead, she cries out, "No, we're not!" _

_"__Would I trick you?" Human Jackie asks playfully, hiding her terror under her smile. She prays to whoever's watching them right now, be it God, gods, _anything.

Please keep Emma safe.

_"__Yes, you always play tricks!" she pronounces, staring at her with conviction in her eyes._

_Jackie laughs, seeing Emma's point. She _did_ play tricks every once in a while. "Yeah, well, all right," she says, carefully inching closer. "Well, ah, n-not this time. I promise, I promise – you're gonna be okay. You're going to be fine," she says soothingly. "You have to believe in me."_

_At these words, Emma looks up, the fear replaced with determination. _That's my girl, _Jackie thinks proudly._

_Jackie glances subtly around, searching for something that would help her save Emma. Then she spots it – the shepherd's crook that Papa gave her when she was younger. _

_"__You wanna play a game?" Jackie asks brightly. "We're gonna play hopscotch – like we play every day." She straightens up and attempts to move closer to the staff. A small plan is beginning to form in her head. "It's as easy as uh, one . . ." Jackie cringes as the ice cracks under her toes, but she pretends to lose her balance with an over-exaggerated "Whoooaa!" to entertain Emma. _

_And it works. She laughs. _

_"__. . . three!" she says triumphantly, feeling the thicker ice under her bare feet. Jackie bends down to pick up the staff. __"__All right. Now it's your turn. One . . ." _

_She holds out the curve of the staff to Emma, who is tentatively making her way closer, shaking with each unsteady move. With each step, she gasps with fear as the ice cracks even more._

_"__That's it, that's it," Jackie says encouragingly, reaching out farther. "Two . . . three!" Emma is now close enough for her to grab. She hooks the staff around her sister's waist, switching their positions. Now, Emma is on the thicker ice and _safe._ That's all that matters. _

_They're both sprawled out on the cold surface, but they're fine. When Jackie stands up, she smiles at Emma, and she smiles back. This would be a fun story to tell their children one day. _

_But then the ice breaks, and Jackie falls – down, down, down into the water._

_"__Jackie!" Emma screams, her voice muffled by the water pressing on Jackie's ears._

Jackie stared at her human self. Though her eyes were closed, Jackie knew that they were slowly turning blue. As short brunette strands bleached white, Jackie knew that this was when her memories vanished. This was when she forgot her previous time, her friendship with the Guardian of Hope, and Emma, the little girl she swore to protect with her life.

And then, her memory self's ice-blue eyes shot open, and Real Jackie was hurled out of her memories.

Jackie breathed heavily, staring wildly into the air. She glanced back down at her golden memory box, her fingers curling protectively around it. Jackie couldn't _believe _that she had almost thrown it away.

"Did you see – did you _see that?_" she asked Baby Tooth, who was now sitting on the icy floor.

The little fairy shook her head, chirping a negative. But Jackie rushed over and cupped Baby Tooth into her hands, saying excitedly, "It was _me! _I had a _family – _I had a _sister!_ I _saved _her!" Baby Tooth squeaked happily, and Jackie laughed.

And then the euphoria filtered out of her body as solemnity took over. "_That's_ why you chose me," she said, looking up at the sky. And sure enough, the moon was there.

"I – I'm a _Guardian,_" Jackie realized slowly. She had sacrificed herself for a child, and children were who the Guardians protected. Then, she remembered what North had told her yesterday (was it even yesterday? It seemed so much longer) –

_"__If Man in Moon chose you to be a Guardian, then you must have something _very _special inside."_

Though Jackie still wasn't sure what her "center" was, she knew that it was her duty to protect the children. She could still help.

"We need to get out of here," Jackie said determinedly, tucking Baby Tooth into her hood. She looked at the cliff walls, searching for any possible handholds. Then, something caught her eye.

Her staff.

She rushed over to it and skidded on her knees. She picked up the two broken pieces and pressed them together, hoping that it would mend. But she pushed too hard, and the wood snapped again. Jackie grunted in annoyance, but she stood up and closed her eyes, channeling her energy into the broken staff. Hope wasn't all that was needed. It was _belief._

And she chanted in her mind, _I believe, I believe, I believe._

As she thought those words, the most powerful magic of all, warmth began to spread from her heart and down her arms. Jackie's grin was huge as familiar frosted ferns began to explode from the break in the staff.

_I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE!_

The energy coursing through her hands sent a tingle throughout her being as she instinctively _knew _that her staff was once again whole. Blue magic glowed where wood and flesh met, and Jackie shot up into the air when she met the familiar embrace of Wind swirling around her.

"Come on, Baby Tooth, I owe ya one!" Jackie yelled as she swooped joyfully through the icy air.

Jacqueline Frost was back, and there was _no one _who could stop her.

* * *

Jackie flew across the ocean as fast as she could. Her destination? Burgess, or more particularly, Pitch's lair.

She dove down the hole and ripped open the cage doors, shouting to the mini-teeth, "Come on, let's go!" The helpers of the Tooth Fairy hopped up and down on their perches, but stayed firmly planted to the ground. "W-what's wrong?" Jackie looked around the hopefully abandoned cavern, and at all the open cages. "None of you can fly?"

Then she saw the Globe. It wasn't glowing anymore, save for a few flickering lights spread around the continents. "The lights . . ." she whispered, her hand dropping.

* * *

Nightmare sand swirled around the Globe, sending the yetis into a frenzied state. The wind that the sand whipped up sent the finished toys flying.

Then Pitch appeared from the darkness, announcing to the yetis, "You're _all _free to go! We won't be needing any Christmas toys this year, thank you," he said, bowing. "Or ever again," he added. He smirked at the Guardians. "Poor Jacqueline. I wish that she could be here to witness your downfall."

"What did you do to her?" North demanded, shakily pointing one of his swords. "If you hurt –"

Pitch laughed. "Me? Hurt the dear girl? No, North. It was _you _and the _Guardians _that hurt her."

Tooth gasped. "No!"

"Who are you talking about?" Bunny pressed. He was so confused after the Easter fiasco with Jack. His head was pounding, and he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker with each passing hour. He was already a few centimeters shorter ever since the incident.

Pitch's smile grew. "Oh, you mean she didn't tell you?"

"Start talking, Pitch," Bunnymund growled.

The Nightmare King walked across the top of the Globe. "I should probably start with the story of that Overland girl."

_Jackie, _Bunny thought, his fists clenching at the injustice of her death. Her joyful spirit was snuffed out way too soon.

"Her fear was so strong that day," Pitch sighed happily. "It was just enough for me to regain a sliver of consciousness. After Jacqueline died, poor, poor Emma was so lonely."

"Don't talk about them!" Bunny warned, raising his fists.

"Then what fun would be in that?" Pitch countered. "You see, dear Bunnymund, Jacqueline was reborn that night. With no memories, white hair, blue eyes . . . and a wooden shepherd's crook that she carried everywhere. Sound familiar?"

"Frost?" Bunny choked out. "He's a girl? Why didn't she tell us?"

Bunny was probably going into shock from the information that was suddenly presented before him. Jack Frost, the annoying little show pony that ruined Easter twice, was his best friend from three hundred years ago.

Jack . . . was Jackie.

Bunny knew that he saw a resemblance between the two. But he was so blinded by his dislike for "Jack" that he couldn't see the warm, beautiful soul of Jacqueline Overland in her blue eyes.

Bunny was the greatest idiot of all time.

A funny squeaking sound from Tooth made him look over. "She told me, but said not to tell anyone else. And she had no memories from before . . . probably because she died before becoming Jackie Frost."

"Naughty List," North muttered. "Had name on top every year."

Bunny suddenly became angry. Angry at Pitch and his smug look, the children for not believing, Jackie for not having memories of their friendship, but mostly . . . angry at himself.

He had struck his best friend. He had broken her already fragile heart with his cruel words, and any fragments of trust that might have formed. He, E. Aster Bunnymund, had failed as a Guardian . . . and as a friend.

And to add to his anxiety, he could feel himself becoming a little bit smaller.

* * *

Jackie stared in horror. "They're all going out!" She ran around the Globe, willing the few children who believed to _keep believing._

* * *

"Only six left!" Pitch cackled to the yetis and the Guardians. "Six precious children who _still _believe in the Guardians with all their hearts."

Bunny stared with dread at the remaining Lights. The Globe seemed to be growing bigger as Pitch kept snuffing them out. Then he realized – he was _tiny! He'd actually reverted back to a primitive little bunny! _North and Tooth were both staring at him with shock as the Nightmare King whispered, "Make that . . . five."

North took a step back.

"Four!" Pitch sang, gliding over to North America to snuff out another light.

Then Pitch stepped on two of the three remaining orbs on the Globe. "Three . . . two . . ." He then snapped his fingers and stared at the last Light expectantly. When it didn't immediately go out, he growled, and Bunny began to feel a small fragment of hope.

He met the others' eyes, and Tooth and North were both looking determined. _It's go time, _Bunny thought.

"_One,_" Pitch spat, looking at the Last Light with hate.

The Guardians bolted to the sleigh without saying a word. Their minds were in sync as they flew off into the night.

They needed to protect the Last Light.

* * *

Jackie crawled up to the last remaining light. It glowed faintly in a familiar place . . . the place she knew best, and where she was now. The Light . . . it was – _it was –_

"Jamie," she breathed.

Without a second thought, Jackie shot out of the cavern and flew off to the house, Baby Tooth riding in her hood.

* * *

So here's the end of this chapter. I'm not exactly sure when the next update will be, but I hope the reaction to this chapter will be as huge as the last one!

Your reviews will make my day. (hint hint)

See you real soon!


	9. Restoration of Belief

**A/N: **You know what? I love you all. This is the most _amazing _fandom in the world. How did I _ever _manage to get more than 100 follows? I know this is too soon to say, but I'm looking forward to reaching the 100 review mark.

**A bit of a heads-up:**

Also, I've changed Jamie's age to ten. After doing a little more research, I found out that that was his actual age, not eight. If you're a veteran to this story, I just wanted to let you know. If you're a newcomer, WELCOME! I hope you're enjoying this so far.

* * *

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."  
– Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), _'Meditations Divine and Moral,' 1655_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Restoration of Belief**

* * *

Jamie stared long and hard at his stuffed pink rabbit. Conflicting emotions were currently warring in the boy, making him doubt everything. The Easter Bunny had to be real, right? Jamie had seen him in his room last night. For ten straight years, Jamie had believed in the childhood legend.

But now . . .

"Okay, look," Jamie began, speaking his worrying thoughts aloud, "you and I are obviously at what they call a 'crossroads.' So here's what's going to happen – if it wasn't a dream" (because Caleb had thought it was, and Jamie _knew_ it wasn't) "and if you are real, then you have to prove it. Like, right now."

_Real or not real? Real or not real? _flitted across his mind as he spoke.

Magic creatures supposedly knew everything. The Tooth Fairy always knew whenever a kid lost a tooth. The Easter Bunny gave _everyone _eggs. Santa Claus even knew if someone was naughty or nice by checking a list!

If anyone were watching, they'd surely know to pass on the message to the Easter Bunny.

Jamie leaned closer to the stuffed toy's face. "I've believed in you for a long time, okay?" he said desperately. "My whole life, in fact. So you kinda owe me, now. You don't have to do much. Just a little sign, so I know.

"Anything," he continued, still trying to cling onto hope. "Anything at all."

Jamie stared into his bunny's blank button eyes, and a foolish hope welled in the ten-year-old's being for five seconds (they _would _come! They _would! _– even though he wasn't exactly sure who "they" even were).

Then his brown eyes began to dull with sadness as he dejectedly dropped the toy to the floor. "I knew it," Jamie said, his belief beginning to fade. He had been told to grow up so many times – and he should've listened. Anything to keep this crushing feeling from hurting his heart.

Then suddenly, a crackling sound startled the boy from his miserable thoughts. Jamie turned his head . . . and he saw frost begin to bloom onto his window. It was kind of weird – he had never seen frost just randomly appear like that.

Then, lines began to appear in the ice. A normal kid probably would've screamed, but Jamie had believed in the supernatural and in fantasies his whole life. Curiosity like his didn't go out that easily, no matter how much he tried to admit it earlier. As Jamie watched with wide eyes, the drawing began to complete itself. When it was finished, he was stunned to see that it resembled an egg.

More specifically, an Easter egg. Jamie gasped in shock as the revelation registered in his mind. He glanced down at the fallen toy, then quickly stood up on his bed as more frost began to appear on a different pane.

A drawing of a bunny began to form in the ice.

"He's real," Jamie whispered, the words tumbling from his lips. This, _this _definitely was a sign. Somehow, a magical being was in his room, telling him that the Easter Bunny was _real_.

And then, before his very eyes, the drawing of the rabbit came to life.

"Whoa!" Jamie said, laughing as the frost bunny raced around his room. It scampered around his head, moving swiftly. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Jamie held his hands out to try and catch it, but at the slightest contact, it burst into tiny, little, delicate flakes of –

"Snow?"

Jamie was pretty sure that snow didn't just appear in people's rooms. He stared in confusion at the light snowfall, but then a single flake landed on his nose. As that small flake melted, memories of yesterday were brought forth . . .

"You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose!" his mother had said. Jamie struggled to recall more of that exact moment, and the magic that momentarily ran through his veins (though the boy didn't know it) created an image of ice-blue eyes and silvery hair.

And Jamie wondered, if the Easter Bunny was real, couldn't Jack Frost exist as well?

To try it out, Jamie said aloud, "Jack Frost."

* * *

Jackie laughed along with Jamie as her little frost bunny ran around the small room. She was still in awe at the extent of her powers – she had no idea she could create animals out of ice, but a small feeling inside inspired her to try.

Jamie was still trying to catch the creature, but at his touch, the bunny exploded into little snowflakes. The flurries floated gently around the boy's head, landing in his brown hair, and probably on his face as well. Jackie smiled at Jamie, who had just said with a confused tone, "Snow?"

Seeing that her work here was done, Jackie made a move to leave. She had reignited the Last Light's belief in the Guardians, and she wasn't needed anymore. She had just taken her first step, but Jamie said something that made her freeze.

Jackie stared at the little boy. "Did he just say –"

Then she shook her head. _No, it couldn't be! _she thought stubbornly. It was just something she _thought _she heard. It was impossible. It was –

"Jack Frost?" Jamie repeated.

Jackie took a sharp breath. "He said it again!" Could this be? She stepped back, still staring at Jamie. "He said – _you_ said –" she stammered, trying to find words to voice her shock.

Then Jamie turned around and looked at her. "Jack Frost!" he said, jaw slack.

"That's right!" Jackie said instinctively, her hands flying to her head. Though it wasn't _really _her name, it was the variation of it. And that was good enough for her. "B-but that's _me!_ Jack Frost – that's_my_ name. You said my _name!_" she said, her voice breaking from the emotions rushing through her.

Then Jackie realized just how intently Jamie was staring at her. "Wait, c-can you hear me?" she asked, coming closer to the boy. And to her utter surprise, he nodded. "C-c-can you see me?" she clarified, peering straight into the boy's warm brown eyes.

Jamie nodded again, his face breaking into a joyful smile.

Jackie's breaths came out in short, strangled gasps. And then she smiled, tears of joy threatening to spill over her cheeks. This was really happening. A child could see her, after all her years of wishing and dreaming and hoping.

A _child_ could _see _her_._

"He sees me," she said, voicing her thoughts aloud. "He – he _sees me!"_ she said again, the tears now freely streaming down her face.

Not even thinking, Jackie backflipped with a loud whoop onto Jamie's desk in her undiluted happiness.

Seeming to get his voice back, Jamie said, "You just made it snow."

"I know!" Jackie replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, but still smiling.

"In my _room!_"

"I know!" she said again, spreading her hands. As she hopped off the desk, Jamie asked, "You're real?"

"Yeah, man!" Jackie said excitedly, wanting to speak quickly just in case this beautiful dream decided to come to an end. "Who do you think brings you all the blizzards, and the snow days –" Here she stopped, another wondrous memory rippling across her mind. "And you remember when you went sledding that other day?"

"That was _you?_" Jamie asked incredulously.

"That was _me!_"

"Cool!" he cheered, flinging his hands up in excitement.

"Right?" Jackie laughed, seeing the boy beginning to bounce up and down on his bed.

"B-but what about the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy?" Jamie added. "And, I mean –"

"Real, real, _real!_" Jackie said joyfully, reaching down to pick up Jamie's stuffed rabbit. "Every one of us is real."

Jamie grinned as though he heard that Christmas was going to be every day. "I _knew_ it!" he crowed, now visibly jumping on his bed.

"Jamie, who are you talking to?"

He cringed after hearing his mother's voice, and met Jackie's eyes with a pleading look. In response, she tilted her head to the door, smiling teasingly. _If you must._

"Um, Jack Frost?" Jamie called uncertainly, the statement sounding more like a question.

To Jamie's apparent relief, his mother laughed. "Okay," she said, her tone making it clear that she thought her son was joking.

Jackie and Jamie shared a knowing grin at the woman's response. _My First Believer . . . _Jackie thought contentedly. _I never thought that this day would ever happen. It feels nice to have his smile directed at me._

"I didn't know that Jack Frost was a girl," Jamie said in a hushed voice, interrupting her thoughts. He was clearly trying not to draw any attention back from his mother.

The statement took her by surprise. "How'd you know?" Jackie asked, stunned. Even with her shock, she thought that it was kind of funny that a ten-year-old figured out her true gender in less than ten minutes, while the Guardians only found out after three hundred years.

Jamie shrugged. "You just look like one."

Huh. "You're the first person in a long time to realize that I'm a girl, kiddo," Jackie said wryly. "And my name's not Jack _–_ it's actually Jacqueline, but I like to go by Jackie."

"Wow," Jamie breathed, still staring at her in wonder.

They smiled at each other again. But then they jumped when a loud crack echoed outside, sending the shutters flying open. _What in the world . . .?_

"Meet me outside," Jackie instructed, grabbing her staff and leaping out Jamie's window.

When she landed on the pavement outside, she lowered her weapon, realizing that the noise wasn't a threat – it was actually the Guardians. They must have seen Jamie's light on the Globe, too. She was still staring blankly at them when the sleigh landed shakily, making the reindeer run off.

Jackie wasn't exactly sure how to act around them, as they had practically banished her from their group. What would they say when they saw her here?

"North, are you okay?" a female voice asked.

"Is official," she heard a man with a Russian accent say in response. "My powers are kaput."

_North . . . and Tooth . . ._

Then Tooth gasped and pointed at Jackie, making her flinch slightly. Unsteadily flitting out of the broken-down vehicle, she called out, "Jackie!" Tooth fell to the ground, but Jackie reflexively reached out her arms to catch her.

_Her voice . . ._ Jackie thought. _Tooth sounds . . . _relieved_, somehow._

"Jackie!" Tooth repeated, her wings fluttering uselessly.

"You okay?" Jackie instinctively said, letting go of the feathered woman.

Tooth simply chuckled nervously and smoothed her crown of feathers back.

"What are you doing here?" North asked.

Jackie forced out a small smile, as she was still feeling hurt from their rejection earlier that day. "Same as you," she replied, glancing back at the house's front door. A creak was heard, and Jamie Bennett rushed out, staring at Tooth and North like they were celebrities.

And to Jamie, they might as well have been.

"The Last Light," North said, staring at Jamie with equal wonder.

"Wow, it is you! It really is you!" Jamie cried, smiling hugely at North's large frame. "I knew it wasn't a dream!" he said happily, turning to face Jackie.

"Jackie," North said slowly, "he sees you!"

Jackie smiled softly, looking down at her First Believer with affection. Then she frowned, grasping that the group was missing one person. "Wait . . . but where's Bunny?" she asked, her wariness of the Guardians being replaced with concern. She wasn't sure that it was a good thing that she still cared for them.

North frowned as well. "Losing Easter took its toll on all of us," he said carefully. "Bunny most of all."

Jackie turned on him with wide eyes. For a heart-stopping moment, she wildly thought, _Bunny's _dead_?_ But then a small figure hopped out of the sleigh – a figure with very _familiar _green eyes. "Oh, no . . ." she mumbled, sweeping a hand through her hair.

Jamie laughed at the sight of Bunnymund absently twitching his nose and looking downright adorable. "Wait, _that's_ the Easter Bunny?" he said, chuckling in disbelief.

Bunny raised his tiny, furry paws. "_Now_ somebody sees me! Where were you about 'n hour ago, mate?"

Jackie and North shared a look as Jamie asked, "But what happened to him? He used to be _huge_ and _cool . . ._" –Jamie stretched his hand to the sky, miming Bunny's former height– "but now he's . . ._cute,_" Jamie finished, gently scratching the Easter Bunny's neck.

By the look on his face, Bunny had clearly been enjoying the affection. But as Jackie met his green eyes, Bunny disgustedly swatted Jamie's hand away. "D-did you tell 'im to say that?" he demanded, leaping off the wing of the sleigh.

Jackie flinched as Bunny's cute little paws began attacking her leg, remembering their last meeting. Though she knew that he didn't pose that much of a threat now that he was tiny, and that they had been friends in a past life, she couldn't help but feel wary. Her cheekbone had been growing darker in color with each  
passing hour.

"No," Jamie defended, rushing quickly to Jackie's side to shield her from the "attack." "She actually told me you were real . . . just when I was starting to think that maybe you weren't."

Bunny stopped in his rampage. "S-she made you _believe_? In _me_?" Bunny said, his green eyes growing adorably large.

Jackie hesitantly met Bunny's gaze, and was a bit surprised to be met with a small, grateful smile. She slowly smiled back, remembering a time when he was taller, and she was human.

Then Jackie realized – Bunny had referred to her as _she._

_He knows._

Then thunder boomed and lightning flashed, making the Guardian of Hope flinch violently. Everyone whirled at the sudden noise, clenching their fists or gripping whatever weapons they had (in Jackie and North's case).

Jackie glared hatefully at the dark figure up in the sky. "Get Jamie out of here," she commanded no one in particular.

"Be careful, Jackie," was North's reply as Jackie prepared to take off into the sky. She was the only one really at full power among the four spirits, and her First Believer needed to be protected. Then something tapped her leg. She glanced down, and was met with a pair of unwavering green eyes.

"Be careful out there, Jackie," Bunny said, staring directly at her. "And I'm sorry. F-for everything."

Jackie gave him her trademark mischievous grin, though she could feel that it wasn't as confident as it was before. "Thanks. But tell me that again later, E. Aster Bunnymund," she said, giving him a two-fingered salute. And then she flew off into battle.

* * *

Bunny kept looking back at Jackie (he still couldn't get over the terrible guilt he felt whenever he saw her) and Pitch. As he watched, he could see the winter spirit grip her staff firmly.

Pitch's voice echoed across the sky. "Jacqueline Frost?" he said in surprise, as though he couldn't believe she was here. Then his expression became hard. "Let's end this, shall we?"

In response, Jackie sent a strong wave of ice at Pitch, but the Nightmare King just seemed to deflect it. "That – little trick – doesn't work on me – _anymore!_" Pitch roared, moving closer in Jackie's direction. With mounting horror, Bunny saw the two spirits' powers collide, and Jackie began to fall freely to the earth.

"This way, this way!" Bunny yelped, racing down an alleyway. "Dead end," he corrected himself, "other way!"

Then Jackie's thin frame slammed into a nearby dumpster, and he could hear her groaning in pain. Her staff clattered on the pavement. Bunny made a move to run to her aid, but the little boy beat him to it.

"_Jackie!_" Jamie cried, running over to her side. He grabbed her shoulder and attempted to pull her up to an upright position.

As Jamie was struggling to help, North said optimistically, "That was good try, Jackie. 'A' for effort!"

"H-he's stronger," Jackie gasped out soon after, and Bunny noticed that Tooth, North, and Jamie seemed hesitant to help her again after hearing her weak voice. "I can't beat him."

Then lightning flashed again, soon accompanied by thunder. Bunny's eyes narrowed. He raised his tiny fists and prepared himself to protect the four people who were situated around him.

* * *

Pitch's laughter sounded from all around them. Jackie lifted herself up off the floor, ignoring her aching back and limbs. She would protect Jamie and the others, no matter what the cost.

"All this fuss over one little boy," Pitch's disembodied voice said, "and _still _he refuses to stop believing." At the start of the Boogeyman's speech, Jackie moved so that _she_ was in front of Jamie – if Pitch wanted to get to her friend, he would have to get through her first.

And the boy reminded her _so _much of Emma . . . the protective instincts had already been kicking in.

"Very well," Pitch's voice continued softly, responding to Jackie's defensive stance. "There are _other _ways to snuff out a light." His shadows struck the lamps surrounding them, and Jackie put her arm in front of Jamie, because she needed to keep him safe.

She would protect him with her life.

Bunny bounded in front of the group, spreading out his tiny arms like a shield. "If ya want them, you're goin' ta have to get through me!" he threatened, still sounding so odd with his deep voice and small body.

In response, a long black shadow snaked toward the Pooka. "Aw, look how fluffy you are," Pitch crooned. "Would you like a wittle scratch behind the ears?"

Bunny cringed and raced up into North's arms. "Don't you even _think _about it!" he shouted, his voice trembling slightly.

Jackie bit her lip as the Nightmares began to walk closer. She and the others began to move back at the same pace as the shadows, and even though she was no Boogeyman, she could definitely feel the fear in the air.

"I can't tell you how _happy _it makes me to see you all like this," Pitch said, his voice louder. "You look _awful._"

Jackie spotted his glowing gold eyes in the darkness, and as he came into the dim light of the remaining lamp, she saw that he was riding on one of his Nightmares. She narrowed her eyes as the shadows crept closer at an alarming rate. They shot past everyone's feet, causing Jamie to take a few steps back.

As Pitch's laughter grew, Jamie spoke. "Jackie?" And his voice sounded so, so small. "I'm scared."

Jackie immediately went down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her mouth was about to open to murmur some words of comfort, but then her eyes widened slightly as she began to process those three words. And she remembered a little girl . . . one with brown hair and warm eyes, who had spoken that same sentence three hundred years ago.

_"Jackie, I'm scared!"_ Emma had cried, trembling on the surface of the cracked ice.

_"I know, I know. But you're gonna be all right," _she had replied back with a reassuring smile. "_We're . . ."_

". . . going to have a little _fun _instead," Jackie murmured, realizing everything. Then she smiled. "_That's it! That's my center!_" Jamie looked absolutely bewildered at her statement, staring at her in confusion.

"So what do you think, _Jamie?_" Pitch whispered, causing Jackie to tear her eyes away from her friend's. As Pitch continued to speak, she stood up and moved to an innocent patch of snow. "Do you believe in the Boogey – _aughhh!_"

Jackie grinned as her snowball cut off the Nightmare King's speech. "Bull's-eye," she murmured with satisfaction. Almost immediately after, Jamie let out a sharp laugh, but quieted hastily, looking at Jackie with wide eyes.

She tossed another snowball up and caught it in mid-air. Glancing quickly to the side, there were enough discarded materials to add another part to her forming plan. "Now, let's go get your friends," she said, taking Jamie's hand and leading him to the objects.

With North's help, they were able to quickly construct a makeshift sleigh for each of them to ride on. Jackie spread a patch of ice, and they all shot off past Pitch, past the darkness, past the fear, and into the light.

Jackie swooped close to the ground, spreading ice on the street. They swept past a man walking his dog (and Jackie wondered about how odd the situation would look to a nonbeliever), and Jackie alighted on the path of ice to skate along with the group.

Jamie was clutching the edge of his "sled" so tightly that his knuckles were white, but there was a huge grin plastered to his face. North sailed along on one of those wooden things that were usually found in wholesale stores (Jackie had no idea what they were called, though), Tooth was in some random, white bowl thing, and Bunny was small enough to use a fairly large cooking pan.

They all whooped with joy as Jackie created a ramp in the path, causing them to spiral into the air. She produced another road back to the ground, but formed yet another high ramp which shot them over an apartment building.

Or more particularly, _Cupcake's _apartment building. Jackie quickly formed a snowball and hurled it at the girl's window, smiling as she heard the _thud_ of her projectile. Now _that _should've woken her up. The snowball was meant to do what the frost rabbit did for Jamie – awaken the lost belief.

The group hurtled back down to the ground, and Jackie smiled serenely as her eyes closed for a second, enjoying the feel of Wind's familiar embrace. After what had happened in Antarctica, Jackie never wanted that connection to ever fade again.

"We're heading to Pippa and Monty's next!" Jackie shouted over Wind, looking at Jamie to make sure he understood. He nodded, and Jackie lifted him up into the air.

The two of them went farther in front, so that Jackie had time to wake the rest of Jamie's friends. Jackie let Jamie throw the snowball at Monty's window, and Jackie winked as the blond, bespectacled boy seemed to gaze at her in shock.

Pippa lived practically next door, so Jackie didn't feel the need to attack her window. Instead she readjusted Jamie so that she was lifting him up by the collar of his shirt. "You know what to do," she said, smiling.

Jamie nodded, and he knocked eagerly on Pippa's window. As Jamie was knocking, Jackie sent a mini snow flurry into the girl's room. Pippa tossed aside her blankets and rushed to her window. Flinging it open, she cried, "Jamie, how are you _doing _that?"

From Pippa's point of view, Jackie figured that it looked like that Jamie was flying unaided. Oh, how wrong Pippa was. Jackie grinned as Jamie replied, "Jack Frost!" He looked back at Jackie, but then met Pippa's eyes again. "Come on, we need your help!"

Jackie blew a snowflake at her, and swooped down, now holding Jamie's arm. She glanced back at Pippa's open window and was overjoyed to see the shocked expression on her face.

_Another believer, _she thought happily. Just an hour ago, she had none. And now, she was getting close to having six.

North, Bunny, and Tooth were rapidly catching up to them. Jackie had already sent some snow showers into the twins' room, but judging from the pleased looks on the Guardians' faces, they must've done something, too.

And, well, from their cries of, "Merry Christmas!" from North; "Happy Easter!" from Bunny; and "Don't forget to floss!" from Tooth had hinted at that fact as well.

Cupcake by then had already joined the group. Riding on a sled of her own, the brunette looked absolutely thrilled. Claude and Caleb were next, sitting on top of _their_ sleds. At their heels were Pippa and Monty, who were cheering, "Jamie, you were right!"

"The Easter Bunny's real!"

"The Tooth Fairy!"

"And Santa!"

"They're _all _real!"

Jackie was smiling at the children's words. Her job was almost finished. All of them had looped around almost the entirety of Burgess, and they were once again back on Main Street. Jackie looked back in front, and stopped, her grin fading.

A cold sliver of fear pierced her heart, but she forced it down. She needed to be strong. She couldn't fail. Never again would she lose another friend.

Jackie gripped her staff tightly, the frost crackling softly at her fingertips. Pitch's laughter echoed across the night sky, and waves of black sand rushed over buildings. The cheering vanished as everyone stared up into the endless darkness.

The final battle was about to begin.

* * *

**A/N: **Here we are folks . . . the story's starting to come to a close. I've actually been thinking of possible sequels during the last month, and something that came to me was a series of related oneshots about Jackie's life before and after _Frosted Ferns_. There would be a few chapters involving things like the interludes I've posted before, plus any requests.

If you're a fan of actual stories with a plotline, I'm not sure if I could ever write something like that without accidentally taking other people's ideas and/or giving up. I'm seriously open to any ideas, though.

**On a totally unrelated note . . .**

I'm being Jack Frost for Halloween! *throws streamers and confetti* My friends don't exactly know yet what I'm going to be, so I'm crossing my fingers that they don't see this. (And besides, they never read my stories anyway.)

See you all soon, and don't forget to leave any ideas or comments!

;)


	10. Interlude III: Sisters

Aaaaaand I'm back! Did anyone miss me? Oh, and I changed my pen name if you didn't notice. It's nice, isn't it?

I'm just seriously thankful for all the support that all you guys have for me and this story. You're basically the rock that keeps me going.

So let's start with the usual!

Thank you to **Kittkatty**, **Princess Renora**, **phoebe . gimenez . 7**, **lilyflower5189**, **Ninjateddies**, **HikariRoseDiAngelo**, **Karearea**, **Shiori Kudo**, **livlifembleming**, **RatchetRocks**, **AmiRosePrincessofTimeandSpace**, **Avengers-IronMan**, **Crimson Dragon Devil**,** zero13noir21absoluteandcrimson**, **apatheticBaker**, **vkanimeluver632**, **The Lonely Rose Petal**, **ImmortalWar**, **The dark side of the loonatics**, **AgnetCoCo**, **tacaloking**, **Racce0400**, **VladmirTheImpaler** (interesting pen name!), and **TheLionTamerHasArrived **for following!**  
**

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**Reader Responses:**

**PebbleheartMarie: **This isn't really a "response" per se to a review, but I thought that it was kind of cool that I'm only nine days older than you. Isn't that weird? (And I'm sorry for stalking you!)

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**Random Reader **and **Akina**: Your reviews made me smile like you can't _believe_. Thank you so much, you guys! :) And **Random Reader**, I love hearing from you. I hope that I can continue to satisfy you with the later chapters.

* * *

"Never are voices so beautiful as on a winter's evening, when dusk almost hides the body, and they seem to issue from nothingness with a note of intimacy seldom heard by day."  
– Virginia Woolf

* * *

**Interlude III: Sisters**

* * *

If you asked Emma Overland what her favorite thing to do was, she would immediately respond, "Being with my sister." Emma absolutely _adored_ her older sister. Jackie was kind, caring, somewhat rebellious (which she admired, but would never have the guts to be), and she always knew how to make Emma feel better.

According to Jackie, they were about nine-and-a-half years apart, but the age difference never stopped them from having fun.

Emma's earliest memories were of snowballs and fun times. Though she was born in September, she loved the winter because it brought their family together in front of the fireplace. She also looked forward to playing in the white, clean snow.

And Jackie's birthday was in the winter too.

Though Jackie didn't know it, Emma and the rest of the village children considered Jackie's birthday as some sort of a holiday. They wanted to pay back the older girl for brightening their days, and being a friend to everyone.

Besides, the fun that they had together triumphed over the fear.

* * *

For Emma, it was hard to remember moments when Jackie would ever cry. It was around when she was four years old and Jackie at thirteen, when she first saw tears present on her sister's face.

She woke up one morning, thinking that today was finally the day that she, Jackie, and Papa would finally go play outside. Papa had always been sick, but yesterday he promised that he would play with them.

"Jackie, we have to go play!" were the first words that tumbled from her lips when her eyes opened. Receiving no response, Emma turned over. "Jackie?"

The bed was empty.

Emma furrowed her brows in confusion. Did Papa and her sister leave her because she slept too late? Then her expression brightened. Maybe they were getting her birthday present! It was her birthday yesterday.

After hastily tidying the bedsheets, Emma raced down the steps. "Jackie!" she called. "Papa? Mama?"

"Here, Emma," came a soft voice. Emma padded over to the source of the voice, which was, to her surprise, Jackie. Jackie was _never_ quiet!

"Jackie?" Emma asked softly. She felt a little bit scared because Jackie was just sitting on the wooden bench that Papa had made last year, before he became sick, and her hands were folded neatly in her lap.

"Hi, sis," Jackie replied, a faint smile flickering onto her face. But Emma knew that she wasn't feeling well. Her eyes weren't smiling. Jackie's long, long brown hair was hanging over her sad eyes, and Emma wanted to push it away and braid it and make Jackie's eyes stop being sad.

Emma then climbed up next to her sister and kissed her cheek, like Papa always did to make Mama feel better. But then she jumped slightly as Jackie suddenly hugged her tightly, wet drops splashing on her shoulder.

"Papa's gone," Jackie said, her voice all rough and scratchy. "He . . . d-didn't get better."

And Emma was confused by those words because Papa was always there, and he was big and strong, and he would always sing that nice song to her and Jackie.

"Papa . . . still sick?"

Emma felt Jackie's arms slip away from around her. She looked up into Jackie's wet and sad brown eyes (so much like Papa's, except that his were always happy) and gasped when she heard the answer —

"H-he's with the angels now."

_Now_ Emma knew why Jackie was crying. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she crawled over to sit in Jackie's lap. Leaning her head on her sister's chest and remembering something that she had heard a long time ago, she said quietly, "But Papa will never really be gone, 'cause he'll always be in our hearts."

Jackie sniffed and wrapped her arms around Emma again. Twisting around slightly, Emma smiled when she saw that Jackie's eyes had lost some of their sadness.

"Thank you, Em," she heard Jackie whisper into her hair. "You're amazing."

They sat together on the wooden bench, nothing but silence between them. But Emma didn't mind it.

"I love you, Jackie," Emma said softly, snuggling deeper into her sister's embrace.

"I love you, too."

They stayed like that for a long time.

* * *

It happened when Emma was five.

It was summer, and it was warm . . . a beautiful and wonderful time. The apples were ripe and juicy, and Emma couldn't wait. Their mother sent Jackie to the shops to buy some of the delicious fruit, but Emma wasn't allowed to go along.

She had fumed for a good twenty seconds at her mother's words of "There are still many things that need to be done at home" until Jackie promised that she would get the first apple, and that they might be able to make apple pie.

"See you later!" Jackie called, waving from the street.

Emma had to help her mother clean the house, because everything was harder now that Papa was gone. Some of the neighbors helped by bringing food over every once in a while, but the trio of female Overlands had to figure out how to get by on their own.

Emma was straightening up their bedroom when Jackie came back. "Emmaaaa!" Jackie called. "I have food!"

Emma broke into a wide grin and hastily smoothed down the blanket on their bed. _Applesapplesapplesapplesapplesapples._ "I'm coming!" she yelled, tearing down the stairs. When she entered the kitchen, Emma immediately demanded, "Where are the apples?"

Jackie laughed, while their mother scolded, "Manners, Emma!"

Her sister tipped the brown burlap bag, and ten perfect, red apples tumbled out onto the table. "We didn't have enough money to buy any ingredients for pie," Jackie said sheepishly. "I spent it all on the apples."

Emma was practically glowing as she stared at the fruit. Their mother was inspecting them, then said, "But how did you manage to get this many for such little money?"

Emma stared up at Jackie, wondering what was going on. They had apples, so everything was fine, right?

Jackie turned a little bit pink. "Um, Aaron's father was out, so he was running the shop. And I, uh, helped him sort all the stuff, so he let me have some for sale."

Their mother stared at Jackie with an odd expression, but then let it slide. "Okay, then. Did you thank Aaron and his family for them?"

"Yes, Mama," Jackie responded as she plucked up two apples with one hand and slipped the other into Emma's. "Can we go to the pond?"

Their mother thought for a moment, but then conceded. "Be careful!" she said. "And look after your sister."

Emma smiled as the older girl replied, "We will!" She could always depend on Jackie to protect her. It's just what big sisters did.

Jackie led her out the back and to the trail leading to their pond. Emma considered the pond as "theirs," even though no one really had a claim to it.

They stepped through the squishy brown mud around the water, their footsteps making an interesting squelching sound. A fallen log was situated on the edge of the pond, making a perfect resting spot for them to relax.

Emma plopped down onto the wood and happily bit into her apple —

"OW!" she then cried, her free hand flying to her cheek.

Jackie turned to face her. "What's wrong, Em?" she asked, brown eyes concerned.

Emma sniffed, feeling tears beginning to pool in her eyes. It _hurt_, and she didn't know how to make it go away.

"Shh, shh," Jackie soothed, wiping away Emma's tears with her sleeve. "Come on, let me see."

Emma reluctantly pulled her hand away from her mouth and shrieked when she saw that it was stained slightly with blood. "Jackie, I'm bleeding!" she sobbed, a fresh wave of tears pouring down her face.

"Hey, calm down, kiddo!" Jackie yelped, alarm coloring her tone. "You probably just bit down on that apple pretty hard. Your tooth might've fallen out, or made it really wiggly."

". . . Ithat 'ad?" Emma asked, sniffing again and poking the loose tooth with her tongue.

"No, no, it's normal, actually," her older sister replied brightly, understanding her garbled words. "All kids lose their baby teeth. And when they do, they put it under their pillow for the Tooth Fairy!"

Emma gasped, already forgetting about the rapidly dulling pain in her mouth as she washed her hand in the pond. "Who's the Tooth Fairy?"

Jackie's eyes widened in what looked like shock. "I haven't told you about the _Tooth Fairy_, dear sister? What have I done?"

"Tell meee!" Emma pleaded, coming back to sit on the log with Jackie.

"Well, you see, Em," Jackie began, "the Tooth Fairy is this beautiful lady who travels around the world, collecting the children's lost baby teeth. But she only does that if the tooth is under their pillows, and at night, when the child is sleeping. And in return for the collected tooth, the Tooth Fairy leaves money under the child's pillow!"

"Wow," Emma breathed, rubbing the shiny red surface of the apple with her fingers. "Have you ever seen her, Jackie?"

Jackie grinned. "Nope," she admitted cheerfully. "But we still have a few chances because I still have some of my baby teeth!"

"And mine too!" Emma added. "We need to stay awake so we can see her when my tooth falls out."

Jackie winked. "Definitely."

…

Emma carefully placed her tooth under her pillow, then crawled next to Jackie under the blanket. Turning to face her sister, she whispered in the darkness, "Are we staying awake?"

"For as long as we can" was the response.

So for about two hours, the two Overland sisters tried to stay awake by entertaining each other with stories, having tickle fights, and playing games.

But the little tooth fairy and the short, golden man hovering outside their window were unnoticed by the two of them as a swirl of sand danced over their heads.

* * *

"Do you love anyone?" Emma randomly asked Jackie one day as they lay in the grass, weaving daisy chains.

Jackie laughed, setting down her flowers. "I love you, Emma! And Mama too."

Emma pouted. "You know what I mean!"

"What brought this on, Emma?" Jackie asked, twisting another flower onto her strand.

She shrugged, continuing her chain. "It's just that you're going to turn sixteen this year. I heard Mama talking about how you're going to have to get married soon."

Her sister scoffed at that. "Me, _married?_ Can you even imagine?"

Emma shrugged again. "I dunno. I think you'd be a good mother, though. All the children love you."

"I guess so," Jackie chuckled, and the subject was dropped.

Emma kept adding more flowers as she kept thinking about Jackie being married.

Jackie was actually quite beautiful . . . Many of Jackie's male friends and other boys were developing little crushes on her, and they often gave notes to Emma to deliver. They were so shy about approaching Emma's vivacious and slightly snarky sister (and they should be!), but Jackie — upon reading the letters — simply didn't understand.

"Why would they like me?" Jackie had burst out one night to Emma, clearly feeling bewildered. "I'm no one special!"

"But you are!" Emma insisted, bouncing slightly on their shared bed. "They love you because you're you, Jackie!"

". . . Love me," Jackie repeated, looking at Emma with a dumbfounded expression. Then she sighed. "When they could be chasing after Annabelle Miller, the awful little . . ."

Jackie then started mumbling violently under her breath.

Emma stared at her with a bored expression. "Are you still on about this? She's already engaged to Jeremiah Woods, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but that's not the problem!" Jackie said agitatedly, moving off of the bed. "She looks so perfect, but she's just so — so _fake!_ No one except me knows what she's really like."

There was a moment of silence before Emma ventured hesitantly, "Then what is she like?"

Jackie suddenly turned and fixed Emma with a dangerous expression. "She is a witch who manipulates people to get what she wants," she said quietly. "I will never forgive her for what she did to Aaron."

Emma was stunned. Jackie had never really told her anything about the incident with Aaron before. All that she knew was . . .

"He died a few months ago —" she recalled, but then Jackie cut in.

"Trying to protect me," she said softly. "Annabelle convinced some bad people to hurt me, but Aaron jumped in and told me to run. It's all my fault for leaving him."

"Oh, Jackie . . ." Emma whispered, "That's awful." Emma now felt absolutely terrible for bringing up this topic, because her sister looked so distressed and heartbroken. She then wondered if Jackie's feelings for Aaron went deeper than just friendship . . .

"Hey, Emma?"

Emma jumped, startled by Jackie's words. "Hmm?" she belatedly said, realizing that her daisy chain was now abnormally long.

"It's getting late," Jackie intoned, standing up and stretching. Her chain of flowers dangled from her hand, waving slightly in the breeze. "Mama's expecting us soon."

"'Kay," Emma agreed, standing up as well.

They walked through the field in silence, relishing the feel of the cool breeze in the warm summer air. Emma was just about to suggest a race to their house when Jackie spoke.

"You go ahead home, Em," she said, a sad look in her brown eyes. "Mama's waiting. Tell her that I just have something I need to take care of."

Emma, feeling confused, made her way home, looking back every once in a while to see that Jackie's silhouette was getting smaller and smaller. What was Jackie talking about? The almost seven-year-old was concerned, especially about the way her sister looked.

But when Emma reached the end of the field, she stopped for a second, then made up her mind. She looped back around and quietly tailed Jackie.

Jackie unknowingly led Emma around the field, until the older girl stopped at a rusty iron gate. Emma took a sharp breath, realizing where they were — _the graveyard._ Then she mentally hit herself, annoyed that she could've blown her cover.

Jackie opened the gate, which creaked. She stepped inside and made her way deeper in the tomb-filled area. Emma, after a moment's hesitation, followed.

It was spooky in the graveyard. The sun was beginning to set, and the warm air was starting to get chilly. Emma shivered, but not just from the cold. Maybe she should've listened to Jackie and gone home when she was told — their house had already been in the line of sight.

No, she then told herself sternly, I need to watch over Jackie. Emma crouched behind the tombstone inscribed with the name Thaddeus Burgess and watched as Jackie knelt next to a small gravestone that looked fairly new.

Emma shifted in her position, already feeling uncomfortable. But her fidgeting managed to rustle a few fallen leaves, making Jackie flinch.

Emma froze. Was she caught?

Then Jackie began to laugh softly. "Come on out, Em. I know that you're there," she said, turning around.

Emma, embarrassed at being caught, slowly made her way to her sister. "Sorry for not listening to you!" she blurted.

"Hey, now, it's fine," Jackie said. "I should've known that you wouldn't have left me after the way I acted. You're kind of like me that way."

Emma smiled sheepishly. "So what are you doing?"

Jackie turned back to face the headstone. "Paying my respects to Aaron," she said simply, laying her daisy chain on top of it.

Emma glanced at the inscription, reading:

_Aaron James Bennett_  
_August 22, 1692 — April 9, 1710_  
_Beloved son, brother, and friend_  
_You will be missed._

Without a second thought, Emma laid her long strand of flowers in front of the stone, and leaned into Jackie's hug.

Little did she know that two years later, Emma would be doing the same exact thing for her sister, though a different set of arms would be wrapped around her shoulders.

* * *

"Jackie, teach me how to ice skate!" Emma begged in the winter of 1711, after receiving a pair of skates from Santa Claus.

"Are you sure?" Jackie teased, a fuzzy new blanket wrapped around her thin frame. "I don't know if you can handle the responsibility of the power of" —here she dramatically paused, raising Papa's staff— "ice skating."

"I can, I can!" Emma insisted, bouncing up and down on the floor. "I promise!"

"Okay, then," Jackie conceded, the hint of mischief gone from her expression.

So the next day, Jackie led Emma out to the pond, which was now thickly frozen over. Jackie helped her lace up her skates, then slipped her own on. Emma wobbled to the edge of the ice, where Jackie had just stopped.

"Come on, Em!" Jackie called, standing with a hand on her hips. "The days in winter are only getting shorter."

Mustering up her courage, Emma took a step forward . . . and promptly slipped. As quick as a flash, Jackie was crouched next to her, a look of worry on her face.

"Emma, are you okay? Oh, I'm so sorry!" Jackie babbled, shaking as she helped Emma up. "If you were hurt —"

Emma giggled, batting away Jackie's anxious words. "I'm fine, sis! Just fell on my butt, that's all."

Jackie's panic melted into relief. "Really?" she sighed, bringing the both of them to their feet. "Well, that's good to hear."

Soon after that little fiasco, Jackie began to teach Emma how to skate. She was beaming as Jackie demonstrated what Emma should do, feeling excited for that day when she, too, would be able to do that.

"Now you try!" Jackie said, flashing a smile.

Emma gave no response, but instead tried to imitate what Jackie had done earlier. One foot in front of the other, and — Emma yelped as she once again landed on her rear end.

"That's okay," Jackie coached. "But try spreading out your arms. It helps a lot with balance."

Emma nodded and stood up the way that Jackie taught her. Once she was upright, she began to slowly wobble her way in her sister's direction, smiling at the fact that she was skating.

. . . Well, sort of.

But the universe really seemed to be against her today, and she fell. Again. But this time on her back, which hurt.

Jackie glided over gracefully to her, asking, "Do you want to stop for today? It's okay if we do."

Emma liked to think of herself as a fast learner. She picked up reading in no time. Writing came easy after that. Arithmetic? She loved that. But ice skating? Not so quickly. "No, I can do this!" she stubbornly refused. "I just need a bit more time."

Jackie grinned. "Then let's do this!"

So by the time the sun sank below the horizon, Emma was gliding over the surface of the ice, almost as gracefully as Jackie.

And she was quite proud of that.

* * *

Emma was wandering the town one day after school was over, no particular destination in mind. School had let out early today, so Jackie, who was at home helping their mother with all the chores, wasn't expecting her home for a while.

So Emma decided to pop into a shop filled with unique little pieces of jewelry. She and Jackie both adored all the delicate pieces of work, dreaming about the day that they could wear something as pretty as the stuff in that store.

She perused the shelves, when a twinkling silver pendant caught her eye. Emma leaned down and inspected the glittering necklace, in awe at the design. It was a perfect snowflake; something that she thought Jackie would like.

"H-hey, Emma!"

She turned, hearing her name. Then she smiled as she glimpsed the person who had called her. "Hi, Seth!" Emma said back. "Nice to see you here."

Emma wasn't sure what to think of Seth Bennett. Sure, he was really nice, and she liked how his green eyes crinkled when he smiled — _no. Stop thinking now._

The brunette boy blushed. "I just saw you in here and wanted to say hi."

Emma laughed. "Well, you just did. So are you here to look at anything?" She was curious — why would Seth be _here_ of all places?

"No," he admitted. "I just wanted to ask if you wanted to be my dance partner for Easter. If that's okay with you, I mean," he added hurriedly.

Seth looked so flustered that Emma had to smile. "Isn't Easter in a month?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes, but before anyone else asked you —"

"I'd love to," she told him sincerely.

Seth brightened. "Really? Great!" Then he awkwardly swayed back and forth on his heels, seemingly unsure of what to say next. "So see you at school tomorrow!" he blurted, running out the door.

Emma watched his rapidly-fading figure, her head tilted as she smiled. Wait until she told Jackie . . .

Then she turned back around to once again admire the sparkling snowflake pendant. It would be a great gift for when Jackie came of age.

Someday, Emma would get that for her sister.

* * *

It was when Jackie was almost eighteen when Emma's happy life crashed and burned . . . which was kind of ironic, really.

Emma never forgot their mother's promise during Easter of letting her and Jackie skate when the pond froze. So when the ice looked thick enough, she dragged her sister out of their bed and pleaded with the big puppy eyes that she knew Jackie could never resist.

But she should've _known_. It was barely December, and even though it had been really cold since November — the ice couldn't have frozen all the way. Emma was just too excited, too impatient to use her head.

Jackie wanted to wait a few more days, as she was just getting over a bad cold. "I'm still not feeling the greatest Em," her sister had said. "And the ice might not hold. D'you wanna wait another week or so?"

"Nope!" the eight-year-old chirped, ice-skates already hanging off her shoulder. "And besides, Emma said, squirming a little from the lie, "I already checked the pond."

. . . It wasn't _technically_ a lie, Emma convinced herself after speaking those words. She had checked over it yesterday, and it looked frozen enough.

"If you're sure . . ." Jackie said reluctantly, her hands folded in her lap.

She was clearly wavering over the decision to go, so Emma cheered, "Great!" to distract Jackie from saying anything else. "Let's go!" she said, tugging on Jackie's arm.

"Go downstairs and wait while I change, young lady,"Jackie said sternly, though Emma could hear the teasing tone in her words.

After being "rejected" by the older girl, Emma sat impatiently on the bench downstairs, hurriedly lacing up her brown boots. She had already scarfed down her breakfast, with her bewildered mother looking at her with a strange expression.

"What's the hurry, Emma dear?" their mother asked, giving her Jackie's breakfast wrapped in a parcel.

"Jackie's gonna skate with me!" she said excitedly, waving one of her skates in the air. "But she's _TAKING SO LONG!_" she yelled pointedly up the stairs.

Emma tried not to talk like she was a little kid anymore, especially since Miss Parker had started to assign her more and more difficult books because the ones for her age group were too easy for her. But at times when she was excited, Emma forgot her sophisticated vocabulary and spoke like all her friends did.

The sound of light footsteps could then be heard. "Okay, okay, I'm here!" Jackie laughed, her long fingers fumbling to secure Papa's cloak around her neck. Her skates were slung over her shoulder.

Emma sprang up from the bench and ran to Jackie as she was reaching to grab Papa's staff from where it was propped up against the wall. "Come on!" Emma practically begged. She was so thrilled to finally start ice skating again, particularly because last year's winter wasn't cold enough to freeze the pond. And Jackie had promised to teach her some tricks, too.

Jackie hugged their mother with one arm, as her other arm was being pulled by Emma.

"Be careful!" their mother called softly, watching the two of them make their way to the pond.

Jackie laughed at Emma's insistence, and looked back at their mother. "We will!"

When they reached the pond, Emma was relieved to see that the pond indeed looked frozen over. They wouldn't have to worry about falling in.

They sat next to each other on the same fallen log that Jackie had first told Emma about the Tooth Fairy, lacing up their skates in silence.

Emma then walked to the ice, feeling much more confident than the first time she learned how to skate. Ever since that first lesson, Emma had become a much better skater. She almost never slipped.

Pretty soon, Jackie joined her on the ice, performing some complicated-looking twirls with a blissful smile on her face and Papa's staff in hand. Emma thought to herself that this was where Jackie really belonged, flying fast and free where no problems could ever reach her.

Jackie then removed her skates and tossed them off to the side. When Emma had asked, Jackie explained that she found it more fun to try and balance on the slippery ice without a firm grip.

Emma shrugged and continued to another section of the pond where they hadn't skated yet. When she reached that area, however, she stopped when she heard the tell-tale sign of breaking ice.

Emma whipped her head up and met Jackie's fearful gaze, thinking, _I'm going to fall in_. She was going to die, just because she had been too careless to check if the whole pond was frozen over. She had never felt so terrified before.

Emma watched as Jackie crouched down slowly, set down her staff, and met Emma's frightened eyes. "It's okay, it's okay," Jackie murmured, slowly straightening up. "Don't look down, j-just look at me."

"Jackie, I'm scared," Emma whispered, trembling from her position.

"I know, I know," Jackie replied, taking a tentative step forward. "But you're gonna be all right, you're not going to fall in," she continued reassuringly, holding out her hands in what seemed like a placating gesture. "Um . . . we're gonna have a little fun instead!"

"No, we're not!" Emma cried out in response. She clenched her hands into fists to try to calm herself down.

"Would I trick you?" Jackie asked playfully, smiling shakily.

"Yes, you always play tricks!" Emma pronounced, staring at her with conviction. Just last week, Jackie told Emma that Seth had moved away, when he really didn't!

Jackie laughed, probably thinking along the same lines as Emma was. "Yeah, well, all right," she said, carefully inching closer. "Well, ah, n-not this time. I promise, I promise – you're gonna be okay. You're going to be fine," she said soothingly. "You have to believe in me."

At these words, Emma looked up, the fear replaced with determination. She _would_ believe. Jackie had promised to protect her, and Emma would trust that she would.

"You wanna play a game?" Jackie asked brightly. "We're gonna play hopscotch – like we play every day. It's as easy as uh, one . . ." Jackie started to take a step, then pretended to lose her balance, a silly expression on her face.

Emma couldn't help it. She started to giggle.

". . . three!" Jackie said, bending down to pick up the staff. "All right. Now it's your turn. One . . ." She held out the curve of the staff in Emma's direction.

At her sister's cue, Emma took a small step forward, but then gasped when the ice cracked even more. She met Jackie's eyes, unsure of whether to continue.

"That's it, that's it," Jackie said encouragingly, reaching out farther. "Two . . . three!"

Emma felt the staff hook around her waist, and then a feeling of flying. She soon landed on the ice, sprawled out awkwardly and spitting her long brown hair out of her mouth.

When Jackie stood up, she smiled at Emma, and Emma smiled back. Her heart was pounding so much, but the relief at being safe began to make her racing pulse slow.

Then in the blink of an eye, Jackie was gone. Emma's eyes widened as she began to process what had just happened — her sister had just fallen in.

"_Jackie!_" Emma screamed, rushing over to the edge of where her sister fell in. But then she felt the ice beginning to give way, and she shrieked as she threw herself back onto the more solid section of the pond.

Hot tears were streaming down her face as she glided quickly to the edge of the pond and ripped off her skates. Emma then sprinted faster than she ever did in her whole life to the Bennetts' house and pounded as hard as she could on their door.

Seth answered the door and before he could even utter a word, Emma said hysterically, "Jackie in the pond — broke, come quick!"

Emma knew how insane she looked; her brown hair tangled, tear tracks on her face, and only wearing socks and a dress in this type of weather. She couldn't blame Seth for looking alarmed.

"Stay here," he commanded, his normally cheerful expression replaced with what looked like fear. Seth ran into his house, then reappeared a moment later with his father in tow.

"Seth, Emma, what's going on?" Mr. Bennett demanded as they tried to pull him in the direction of the pond.

"Jackie fell in the pond!" Emma and Seth shouted in unison, attracting the attention of everybody else who was milling about the streets doing their shopping.

"Jackie?" someone murmured.

"Jacqueline Overland," another whispered back.

"That's her little sister, isn't it?" a woman said, pointing at Emma.

"Come on!" Emma screamed at Mr. Bennett, a characteristic that wasn't very typical of her usual quiet attitude. "Jackie's probably dying right now! _WE NEED TO SAVE HER!"_

He nodded, a firm expression on his face. "Seth, Emma, lead the way."

They ran to the pond, where the hole was still as huge as ever. The townspeople who had followed struggled to search for Jackie, but they couldn't without falling in themselves.

Seth stayed faithfully by Emma's side, waiting. But the search was soon over, and Mr. Bennett walked to the two children sitting on a log.

Emma and Seth. "Did you find her?" they asked anxiously.

Mr. Bennett shook his head. "We're sorry, kids, but . . . Jackie's gone."

_Jackie's gone._

Emma gaped at the taller man, refusing to believe what he had said. "No," she mumbled, gripping Seth's hand. "You're lying. She's just playing tricks again."

"I'm sorry," Mr. Bennett repeated. Then he turned to Seth, saying, "Make sure she gets home."

When he left, Emma sank back down onto the log, feeling quite numb. There was a strange, hollow feeling in her chest as she stared blankly at the hole in the ice that was beginning to refreeze.

And then the tears came.

Seth wrapped his arms around her, and they cried together, mourning the lost girl who had touched so many hearts.

* * *

Emma dropped off the snowflake pendant by the frozen pond five years after Jackie fell through.

For years after, she had always wondered where that necklace had gone, because she had placed it in a location where only she and Jackie knew.

Emma liked to think that Jackie's spirit had taken it.

* * *

When Emma was eighteen, she married Seth Bennett and named their first child Jackson in remembrance of Emma's father and sister.

Their daughter, who came two years later, was named Erin after Aaron, Seth's brother, who had died protecting someone he loved.

* * *

Seth had already passed on seven years previous, and Emma Marie Overland Bennett knew that it was soon her turn to join him, Jackie, and her father and mother in Heaven.

She lay in her bed, reminiscing about her life before. "I'm not young anymore, Jackie," Emma whispered in the darkness, "but at least I'm leaving behind a family. Jack's wife is expecting her third child, and I'm sad that I'll never get to meet my newest grandchild."

"I bet he or she will be beautiful," she heard a girl's voice whisper next to her.

Emma turned her head. A blurry figure was sitting there, with brown clothes, white hair, and piercing blue eyes. As she kept watching, the figure only got sharper. And Emma started to cry because it was a face she thought she'd never see again. Though the eyes and hair were different, though her skin was a lot paler, it was —

"Jackie," Emma breathed, smiling.

"You – you can see me?" the girl — Jackie — asked, looking hopeful. Her blue eyes were so different, yet held the familiar innocence that Emma knew.

Emma couldn't summon anymore of her fading strength to nod, but she felt safe and warm knowing that her older sister was here, by her side, to bring her home.

Her eyes closed, the smile still present on her face.

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_See you there, Jackie._

* * *

I congratulate all of you for getting through that monster of an interlude of randomly squished-together moments. How was it, getting an insider's view of Emma Marie Overland's head? I hope you liked it!

Until next time, lovelies!


	11. Jacqueline Frost, Guardian

**A/N: **I do believe that I am dying with happiness. _100+ reviews. _I had no idea that this story would really get so popular, and I've never had people like a story so much! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukah/Snoggletog/whatever you celebrated and a lovely New Year.

Fun fact: I went to go see _Into the Woods_ on Christmas Day,and it was one of the most wonderful movies I've ever seen. And also, Chris Pine was in it — _singing. _For those who don't know who Chris Pine is, he was the voice actor for Jack Frost. Who knew our fun-loving Spirit of Winter could sing, right? :D

And also, you won't _believe _how long I've been waiting to use this chapter title (and write this chapter). :) It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Now let's get down to business:

For the follows: **Chuckles-Angel**, **DPNbookworm**, **isdividedbyzero**, **TheShinx**, **Bubblenugget125**, **Rhyme13kh14Xion8**, **BBBBGarden Golden**, **dragonstarize**, **Diana Luna Night**, **Reader103**, **maryam24ish**, **Nerd-in-a-book**, **I-am-Carzy-SO-deal-with-it**, **littlejuliz**, **xXCrystallicAngelXx**, **CookieMafiaBoss**, **Loyal-LeoBlade**, **Shady Kitsune**, **SonYukiGoku'sSister**, **secret shugo chara**, **DragonkynNatKiasu**, **MusicAnime31**, **foxchick1**, **Katatonic97**, and **LittleAngelBlue**!

For the faves: **DPNbookworm**, **digital hellcat**, **isdividedbyzero**, **jamie1711**, **sakujari-14**, **seshlover**, **TheShinx**, **Bubblenugget125**, **Rhyme13kh14Xion8**, **BBBBGarden Golden**, **June2000**, **Reader103**, **maryam24ish**, **mog the 13 moogle**, **mollienaturerocks**, **DarkMoon010**, **Loyal-LeoBlade**, **moonlightsuneyes**, **violinnerd 14**, **Shady Kitsune**, **SonYukiGoku'sSister**, **secret shugo chara**, **DragonkynNatKiasu**, **Meerage**, **Katatonic97**, **LittleAngelBlue**, and **truedirectioner511**!

And for the wonderful reviews: **Ern Estine 13624**, **Roseflame Crystalheart**, **Amoureux des Livres**, **Pikachudragon**, **White Hunter**, **LunaArchery**, **Guest**, **phoebe . gimenez . 7**, **kitty . 0**, **Reader103**, **Racce0400**, **Random Reader**, and **guardianofdragonlore**.

**Reader Responses:**

**Amoureux des Livres**: Hey! Good to see you back, and I'm glad you're enjoying the Interludes just as much I love writing them. And your new PenName . . . it means "Lover of Books," right? I have a friend who's taking French right now, and so I recognized what language it was.

**Pikachudragon**, **White Hunter**, **kitty . 0**, and **Random Reader**: Oh my goodness, thanks so much! I'm so glad that the threat was just a false alarm, and it was just social media people getting paranoid.

And a _long _overdue disclaimer: **I don't own anything — not the plot, not the characters, _nothing. _This is merely for my own entertainment.**

Some parts near the end of this chapter may a bit weird, since I didn't have the movie to base off of as I wrote. But enjoy!

* * *

"We will watch over the children of Earth,  
Guide them safely from the ways of harm,  
Keep happy their hearts, brave their souls, and rosy their cheeks.  
We will guard with our lives their hopes and dreams,  
For they are all that we have, all that we are,  
And all that we ever will be."

– The Man in the Moon, to the original Guardians

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Jacqueline Frost, Guardian**

* * *

_Jackie was smiling at the children's words. Her job was almost finished. All of them had looped around almost the entirety of Burgess, and they were once again back on Main Street. Jackie looked back in front, and stopped, her grin fading._

_A cold sliver of fear pierced her heart, but she forced it down. She needed to be strong. She couldn't fail. Never again would she lose another friend._

_Pitch's laughter echoed across the night sky, and waves of black sand were rushing over buildings. The cheering vanished as everyone stared up . . . into endless darkness._

_The final battle was about to begin._

Jackie stared up at the terrible sight, eyes widening in utter horror. This — this was too much. The feelings of fear inside her were so strong, and she caught the slightest smirk from the Nightmare King from far above. He must have sensed it.

She gripped her staff tighter, barely noticing Monty fleeing back to the end of the group.

"You think a few _children_ can help you?" Pitch called, staring straight at Jackie. She felt a small shiver course through her body, but met his gaze unflinchingly. "Against _this_?" He gestured to the large clouds of black sand beginning to surround them, and the thousands of Nightmares in its depths.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jackie saw North attempt to lift his sword up, but the struggle was too much for the weakening Guardian of Wonder. As his arms failed him, she and Tooth quickly turned to support him.

Behind her, Jackie heard a gasp from her First Believer.

"They're just bad dreams, Jamie," she said reassuringly, trying to sound convincing. Even though the situation looked hopeless, she knew that they still had to try.

Bunny nodded in agreement, though he didn't look too sure himself. "Y-yeah, we'll protect you mate."

Pitch smirked again. "Aw, _you'll_ protect _them_? But who will protect _you_?"

Jackie was taking a few steps forward, clutching her staff close. She would try. She would try . . . for her family.

North was trying to convince her not to go, but Jackie smiled. "I'll be okay," she whispered softly, so only that he could hear.

He shook his head, desperately trying to plead with her. "Jackie, _no_!" he whispered back, the soft tone causing his typically loud voice to sound harsh. "We will be stronger if we are together."

Jackie's small smile never left her face, but she felt it grow slightly sadder. She placed a hand on his, but then walked forward again, staring straight at Pitch.

But then Jamie stepped in front of her. "I will," he said bravely.

Jackie's eyes widened. _Jamie . . ._

And then the others came to their side. "I will," Cupcake said, repeating Jamie's words.

"I will!"

"I will!"

Claude and Caleb pushed to the front, chiming in their own agreements.

"And me," Pippa said, her brown eyes determined.

"I-I'll try," Monty stammered.

Jackie glanced down and met Jamie's gaze. She nodded, answering the silent question, and they both began to prepare themselves for the final onslaught.

"Still think there's no such thing as the Boogeyman?" Pitch interrupted, his grin as malicious as ever.

The waves of Nightmares began rushing their way closer to the small group, and Jackie raised her staff, ready to defend.

_You're a great friend, Jamie. We'll get through this together,_ she found herself thinking. And when they got through this, she intended to sit down and talk with Bunny about their past together. She still had a few lingering questions.

"I _do_ believe in you," Jamie responded in such a way that reminded Jackie, once again, of Emma, "but I'm just not afraid of you!"

The sand was pooling together, almost on top of all of them, and Jackie prepared herself to create a shield to protect everyone.

But she never got the chance.

A whoosh of darkness began to close in on them, but Jamie stuck a hand out, and the black sand — _all of it!_ — was transformed into a shining, safe, warm, and _familiar_ shade of gold.

And as the golden sand swirled gently around them, the hearts of seven children resounded the same cry:

_I believe._

The children began to cheer enthusiastically, and Jackie laughed and smiled exuberantly. A strange warmth was pulsing in her frozen chest, thawing a little bit of the shield that she had thrown around her heart.

She inwardly lent her strength and belief to everyone, feeling the invisible reality of the power flowing through the air.

Almost immediately, North's pale and wan face regained its ruddiness. Tooth's feathers puffed out and her limp wings buzzed energetically. The two of them broke into identical grins of joy, and Tooth soared high into the air, earning a cry of, "Yeah, Tooth Fairy!" from Pippa.

"No!" Pitch shouted angrily, trying to reign in the Nightmare he was sitting on. His lips were twisted into an enraged snarl as he took in the scene. "Get them!" he growled at the other Nightmares. "_Do your job!_"

Jackie glanced sideways as she bounded away from the stampede. Bunny, who had his eyes closed, was whispering, "Come on, come _on!_" Then a herd of Nightmares spotted the Guardian, who then bounded away with an "Oh, crikey!" and hid under a nearby car.

Nearby, North smashed two snowglobes on the road, making colorful, swirling portals come into existence. Soon, yetis poured out, yelling battle cries. Jackie met Phil's eyes and sent him a small smile. He smiled back, but then set his sights on the enemy.

Toys also zoomed out from the portal, making a menacing _whirr_ing sound.

Bunny was still scampering away, yelping, "I'm just a bunny!" as he wriggled under a car. The closest Nightmare ducked under it and pulled him out by his tail . . . who was (unfortunately for them) back to his six-foot-one, master-of-Tai-Chi self.

Jackie let a smile slip onto her face as Bunny greeted the enemy with a sly "G'day, mate" and obliterated it with one throw of his boomerang as he flipped and somersaulted in the air.

When the Nightmares vanished, Bunny tapped his foot on the ground, summoning numerous egg golems from the Warren. As he and his small army charged, Jackie ducked with a grin as the toys from earlier sliced into other Nightmares.

"Let's get 'em!" Cupcake then cried, leading the other children to another dark shadow. They all placed their hands on its body, and Jackie stared in astonishment as gold raced across the Nightmare, purifying it.

_The power of belief . . ._

Jackie smiled after getting over her shock, then reluctantly turned her head away from the children. She had wanted to protect them from getting hurt, but after that display — she discovered that they weren't _entirely_ defenseless. Rather, they were the strongest out of them all.

After sprinting away from the battle, she called Wind to bring her to where Pitch was located. It was time to truly end this.

Right as she alighted on the building's rooftop, she sliced her staff through the air, blasting wave after wave of ice at Pitch. The bursts of bright blue lit up the night sky.

The Nightmare King kept avoiding the strikes, but he eventually turned back around to retaliate. He moved quickly through the air, and Jackie struggled to keep up as she raced around the rooftop.

And before she knew it — Pitch was right in front of her. Preparing to throw a dark spear as cruelly pointed as the arrow that had embedded itself into Sandy's body.

Jackie couldn't help it. Time seemed to slow as she watched the spear made of nightmares hurtle its way toward her. She raised her staff in a meager attempt to shield herself —

And then Tooth was there, quickly destroying the weapon with her sharp wings. As the warrior queen shot into the air with her momentum, Jackie grinned.

_Thanks, Tooth._

Then Bunny popped out of the chimney with a puff of ash, wielding his boomerangs and saying, "Ho, ho, _ho!_" with a wicked grin as he threw them.

Jackie and the other two Guardians took chase when Pitch leaped off the building, but then North arrived with his swords, slashing the Nightmare and making Pitch tumble to the ground.

The fight continued there, sword against scythe, the echoes ringing across town. Then Jackie and the others landed by North's side — Bunny throwing his boomerangs, Tooth shooting faster than a bullet, and Jackie putting a good bruise in Pitch's side with a well-aimed kick.

They all fought Pitch together, seamlessly fighting as if they had been for centuries.

When they had cornered him, Jackie spoke. "It's _over,_ Pitch," she said with narrowed eyes. "There's no place to hide."

But Pitch's wild eyes became malicious and gleeful when Jackie said those last words. He dropped into the ground, melting into the shadows.

_Hiding._

Jackie growled quietly in anger, but slowly swiveled around, looking for any sign of his reappearance. When she had made a full one-eighty turn, Bunny's green eyes became alarmed.

"Jackie, look out!" he yelled, throwing one of his boomerangs behind her.

Jackie's eyes widened and she quickly turned, only seeing the sharp blade of a scythe rushing toward her and Bunny's boomerang harmlessly deflecting off it. Why was she always being targeted so underhandedly?

But just as the weapon pierced the fabric of her hoodie, a long tendril of gold wrapped itself around Pitch's arm, flinging him high up into the air. He was dragged across the snow, to a bright, glowing cocoon of golden sand.

And the only person who could've formed whips out of said sand was . . .

Jackie probably never smiled as joyfully as she did now. Sandy was back.

She saw him waving to the other kids, and then slamming Pitch back into the snow. Jackie and the others sprinted to the Guardian of Dreams, Jackie's eyes growing strangely moist.

Jackie joined the other Guardians in squeezing Sandy. _Don't ever leave us again._

When they released the newly-resurrected Sandman, Jackie noticed that Pitch was sleeping in the snow, golden butterflies dancing around his head. She was tempted to laugh, but the symbol was a bit familiar to her.

"_Mother doesn't like talking about her father,_" Jacob had told her once.

Jackie frowned as the memory bubbled up in her mind. Why would Pitch be —

But Sandy then flew up high in the air, sending strands of dreamsand all over the world, letting all the children believe again. The air around the Guardians seemed to be thrumming with power as the belief began to grow with each passing minute.

Jackie watched contentedly as the children, yetis, elves, and Guardians began to happily throw snowballs at each other. Sandy was back, children believed in her, Pitch was defeated . . . what more could she ask for?

A crunching caused the winter spirit to glance over. "Your center?" North asked gently, gesturing to the group joyfully playing and . . . having fun.

"It took a while," Jackie said with a soft smile, "but I figured it out." Because bringing joy and happiness to children was what she did best, no matter if she was invisible or not. She knew what her purpose was now.

And she liked it.

North then tossed a blue object to her, which she reflexively caught. Uncurling her fingers, Jackie chuckled when she saw what the older Guardian had given her.

A _matryoshka _doll, small, white-haired and blue-eyed, a frost-covered staff painted close . . . and with a kind smile that still somehow managed to radiate mischievousness.

It was her.

A snowball then hit the back of North's head, and he turned around, exclaiming good-naturedly, "You're all on naughty list!" He formed a snowball of his own, crowing, "Bunny, think fast!"

The unsuspecting Guardian was knocked down into the snow by the force of the throw, but he took the blow with an amiable grin.

As Jackie kept watching the scene, she noticed that Pitch had woken up. Narrowing her eyes, she made a move to warn the other Guardians, but the Nightmare King said threateningly, "You _dare_ have fun in my presence? I am the Boogey—"

His sentence was cut short when Jamie ran through him.

Jackie's glare softened slightly with pity. She knew what it felt like to not be believed in, but she had taken her own path, and Pitch had taken his. She kept the children happy and bright, while he made them feel afraid.

Pitch had made his choice.

He fled the area, Jackie and the Guardians close behind. When they were all assembled on the ever-frozen lake, Pitch spat, "You can't get rid of me — not forever! There will _always _be fear!"

And as he spoke, Nightmares began to creep out from the swirling mist and shadows.

"Well, they can't be _my_ Nightmares," North said flippantly. "I'm not afraid."

Jackie grinned triumphantly as she walked closer. "Looks like it's _your_ fear they smell."

Pitch's eyes widened as he realized this, and he began to run. The shadows he had created turned on their master, and pulled him into the depths of his lair.

Then he was gone.

Jackie stared up at the moon, its brilliant glow being uncovered by the dark storm clouds. She squinted as the light shimmered over her, but then she smiled.

Jackie's smile was still present on her face as the Guardians made their way to her, the children not too far behind. Bunny broke free of the group, tall and strong again, and with that gentle look in his green eyes that she loved to see.

The Guardian of Hope stopped short in front of the winter spirit, taking her hands in his. "I'm so sorry, Jackie," he mumbled, releasing one of her hands to cup her cheek — the one that had the bruise on it. "I was being stupid, and I should've known that you'd never betray us. And . . . could you ever forgive me? I won't hold it against you if you never do, I mean — I was a pretty nasty bastard to ya and said some terrible things . . ."

Jackie leaned into his chest, her eyes closed. "I don't know how long it will take me to forgive you for what you've done," she whispered, "but I do know that you've loved me in your own, Bunny-like way. I only recently got my memories back, so I saw how much you cared. Maybe soon, we'll get to start over."

Jackie let a few tears leak out onto Bunny's fur, and she felt his warm arms wrap around her. She felt safe.

Loved.

She sniffed once, but then laughed quietly when she heard Baby Tooth's familiar chirps.

"All right, sheila," Bunny chuckled, letting go of Jackie. "Frostbite's all yours now."

Baby Tooth tweeted once, then perched herself on Jackie's shoulder. She stroked the fairy once on her downy head, gently fingering the individual plumes.

"Are you ready, Jackie?" North asked, distracting her from rubbing an affectionate Baby Tooth. "To make it official."

Jackie merely stared wide-eyed at him, not comprehending until an elf moodily smacked its trumpet on its palm. And when she understood, she smiled softly.

"Then it is time you take Oath," North decided, his voice gentler than she'd ever heard. He took the book from a yeti and thumbed through the pages until he found the one he wanted. Then he began to speak.

_"Will you, Jacqueline Frost, vow to watch over the children of the world?  
__To guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams.  
For they are all that we have, all that we are,  
And all that we will ever be."_

Jackie was still very overwhelmed by everything, but she turned to her First Believer, meeting his brown eyes and asking him a silent question. And when Jamie nodded with a bright grin on his face, she said, "I will."

North was smiling as he said, "Then congratulations, Jacqueline Frost, for you are, and forevermore — a _Guardian._"

It was Jamie who started up the cheering, and who was the loudest. North came up to Jackie, easily picked her up, and kissed her on both cheeks, signaling his joy. She was then set back down on the ice, slightly dizzy. The mini-teeth formed a dreamy heart, with Tooth gently reprimanding them.

When Jackie looked up, she saw North's sleigh being brought down to the group. Jamie, holding Sophie's hand (wait, _when _did she get here?), ran to the flying vehicle as it landed, in awe. The other children quickly joined them.

"Everyone loves the sleigh," Bunny said quietly to North, though Jackie still heard.

The winter seasonal felt a little bit more in tune with the world now that she had taken the Oath. She felt like a missing piece had been set into her heart, like she was a little more complete. Jackie knew her purpose now, and would no longer wander the world lost and alone.

She had a family now, one that had somehow made its way back into her frozen heart.

And she had Jamie . . . the Last Light, her First Believer, and someone who was _very_ special to her.

"It's time to go," North said gently, patting her shoulder.

Jackie stared at him, astonished. She wasn't ready to say goodbye yet! She barely had time to even say hello . . . She bit her lip as she followed North to the sleigh, and as Sandy shot dreamsand fireworks into the sky. She kept her eyes downcast to avoid meeting Jamie's eyes.

It would make the farewell hurt more.

But she risked a glance back, spotting Bunny saying his own goodbye to Sophie. "Happy Easter, ya little ankle-bitah," he said fondly, handing the little girl an egg.

Sophie giggled in response, placing a small hand on his nose. "Bye-bye, Bunny."

But when she met Jamie's eyes, a hurt pulsed in her chest, and it was clear that the boy felt the same as he ran up to her. "You're leaving?" he asked, disbelief coloring every bit of his voice. "But what if Pitch comes back? What if we stop believing again? If I can't see you . . ."

"H-hey, calm down!" Jackie said with a small laugh, crouching down to see him better. "Are you telling me that you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes up?"

She wasn't sure where she was getting these strange analogies from, but it was clear that her words were doing the trick.

". . . No," Jamie admitted.

"Okay, so do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it out?"

"No," he said again, laughing a bit at his worry.

Jackie placed a reassuring hand on Jamie's shoulder. "We'll _always_ be there, Jamie. And now, we'll always be _here_," she said, poking him where his heart was. "Which kinda makes _yo__u_ a Guardian, too."

Jamie's center would be a very important thing to the world, if it was ever needed to be found. But if Jackie had any say, she would think that he would be the Guardian of Belief, or Trust. His light shone strongly, even in the face of doubt.

She then shot him one final smile, and stood up to walk to the sleigh. _Bye, Jamie. See you again._

Then . . .

"Jackie!"

She turned, hearing her name, and stumbled slightly back as a blue, green, and brown blur crashed into her waist. Jackie's eyes widened at the sudden contact, the warm hug, and the love that flooded her entire being. She knelt and closed her eyes, squeezing Jamie tightly.

And much too soon, Jackie hopped onto the sleigh. North flicked the reins, and they were off — flying higher and higher and away from Burgess. Jackie glimpsed the children running after the sleigh and shouting goodbyes, and she made her way to the back to wave.

The pain in her chest was fading . . . because she knew she'd see them again one day.

_My name . . . is Jackie Frost. And I'm a Guardian._

_How do I know that? _

_The _moon_ told me so._

_And when the moon tells _you_ something . . ._

Jackie smiled at Baby Tooth as she formed a small snowflake to descend on Burgess.

_Believe it._

* * *

**A/N: **Hahahaha, we're not finished yet, as **Racce0400 **was hoping for a bit more! *evil grin* There's still a few loose ends that need to be tied up.

Hope to see (and hear from, _hint hint_) you all soon!


	12. Tentative Steps

**A/N: **Hello, all! I've proofread this chapter like crazy, checking on it and reading over it (and rereading and _re_rereading) at least three times a day, and it always seems to grow when I finish editing! I've finally decided to update, instead of waiting for nothing and being a wimp. I still feel a bit dissatisfied with this portion, but I always feel so anxious whenever it's something original I post. And now I'm just like, _I should probably post this now._ It's been sitting in the Doc Manager for about two weeks.

So this whole chapter is basically me asking myself, "What happens after? What did Jack and the Guardians do after they left Burgess?" It was strange that they all seemed to forgive each other so easily, so I tried to resolve that, making Jackie feel a _little _bit more distrustful around them. Yes, she cares for the Guardians, but she'll only open up under a little prodding.

. . . And I wrote fluffies. 'Nuff said on that.

So there's only one chapter left to go after this one, which is the _epilogue._ :3 Hope you enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who's been following and favoriting this story so far — I'll give my customary shout-outs to all of you (since there's been so many!) next chapter. My friends have gotten _quite _concerned with each excited squeal I've let out after receiving so many notification emails in my inbox. xD

**A Bit of Randomness:**

Sprained ankles suck. Hobbling around with crutches and having to miss a 3-day volleyball tournament — even more so.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Rise of the Guardians_, the _Guardians of Childhood _series or anything related to it. This is just for entertainment purposes.

* * *

"Adversity draws men together and produces beauty and harmony in life's relationships, just as the cold of winter produces ice-flowers on the window-panes, which vanish with the warmth."

— Soren Kierkegaard

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Tentative Steps**

* * *

The Guardians, along with their newest addition and Baby Tooth, rode quietly in the sleigh to the Pole, feeling sore from the battle, but still cheerful. North, early on, had decided to not use a snowglobe, claiming, "Scenic route will be much more enjoyable."

They were now somewhere in Canada, and were rapidly nearing Greenland. Jackie had her elbow propped on the edge of the sleigh, her legs wrapped around her staff. Wind swept affectionately through her hair, and Jackie smiled and closed her eyes, content with her oldest friend's familiar embrace. She let out a happy sigh. It _did _feel a bit strange to be welcomed back with such open arms by the others, but Jackie was grateful. They had forgiven her for her accidental betrayal, and she had never been happier than she was now. She wasn't alone anymore, she had believers, and Bunny had finally realized who she really was.

But she had admittedly just remembered their friendship only about twelve hours ago. Jackie wondered if she had retained her memories, would she and Bunny have become friends again sooner? Or would Bunny think she was lying? She didn't know. Maybe the Man in the Moon had his reasons for erasing her memories, but that still didn't mean she wasn't annoyed by his actions. But she was glad that she was able to meet the Guardians and become a part of their family after being alone in the world for so long.

She felt a pleasant warmth in her chest when she thought of the other Guardians. North was a rough, jolly, sword-wielding beast that would do _anything _for his family, Tooth was an overprotective mom who cared for them all, Bunny was a big teddy bear under that tough exterior, and Sandy was the most loyal friend in the world. And they all cared for _her._

Jackie had missed being loved. Sure, Jacob had cared and _still _cared for her, but it was hard to make time to see him, especially since he was usually long gone from the area by the time she came around to bring the first snowfall. The memories from her tooth box had provided a few feelings of warmth from her mother and her sister, though she couldn't remember much of a father. She wondered what happened to him. But she assumed that they would all come back eventually . . . the tooth box could just be a trigger for other memories to shake loose.

Jackie wanted to remember _everything._ She didn't want to lose her memories of her family again, and she probably wouldn't be able to bear it if she lost her experiences with the Guardians either. Hopefully, it would never happen.

Baby Tooth chirped softly and nuzzled her neck. "Hi, Baby," Jackie murmured, rubbing the fairy's head with her finger.

With a small smile, she sighed contentedly and slid further down in her seat, earning an amused smile from Sandy, who was seated next to her. Bunny and Tooth were in front of them, and North, obviously, was holding the reins.

Then Sandy's kind expression took one of concern, as he gently touched her cheek. Sand images whooshed above his head: Pitch, Nightmare, snowflake, a Band-Aid_. __Did Pitch and his Nightmares hurt you?_

Bunny and Tooth had turned around at the sound of forming dreamsand, but then froze when they each mentally translated Sandy's message.

Jackie wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to lie to Sandy, but she also didn't want the other three to feel awful all over again . . . So Jackie did what she had been doing for the last three-hundred years.

She fell silent.

* * *

Bunny watched nervously as Sandy tilted his head, awaiting an answer from the winter spirit, who clearly wasn't going to talk anytime soon.

He then exchanged a look with Tooth, anxiety and guilt eating away at his insides. Bunny knew that Sandy had been out of the loop for a couple days, and really only wanted to make sure that Jackie was okay.

They flew on for five awkward minutes until Bunny spoke.

"It's my fault," he admitted to Sandy. "We were all so lost and confused after Pitch shot ya with that arrow. And when Easter was ruined soon after, with Jackie showin' up holding her tooth box . . . we all jumped to conclusions." Bunny lowered his head, his ears drooping. "It was _me_ who hurt her."

Sandy's warm golden eyes widened, an exclamation mark immediately forming over his head. _WHAT?_

Jackie fidgeted with her staff as Sandy became incredulous. More sand images popped into existence: An intricate "G," a child, a fist, an "X." _Guardians are_ never _supposed to harm children!_ The normally calm and gentle Sandman was now a pillar of stern disapproval.

"But it was my fault, too."

Jackie had spoken so softly that her words might've been accidental. Nevertheless, the attention was turned to her.

"No, Jackie—" Tooth protested, but the Spirit of Winter continued.

"I had dropped Sophie off, like I promised," she said, Baby Tooth sitting on her shoulder and absent-mindedly playing with the winter spirit's hair, "but then I heard a voice calling to me. It was soft, but really familiar, too. It pulled me off-course, and I soon found myself in Pitch's lair. Baby Tooth was trying to get me to turn back, but I couldn't. It was almost like I wasn't even in control of myself anymore."

"It's hard to resist when your memories Call you," Tooth said softly, "especially if the want for them is near. I should've _remembered_ that . . . and I should've known that you would _never_ betray us." Her last words seemed to be her thinking aloud instead of in her head.

Jackie kept her blue eyes on her lap, where her hands were neatly folded. Then she continued to speak.

"When I found the other fairies, I was about to get them out, but then I heard the girl's voice again. Now I know that it was Emma ("Emma?" Tooth asked. "Her sister," Bunny responded quietly.), but all that I was thinking was, _I_ know _that voice. I need to find out who is calling me._ But then Pitch started talking to me, and he handed me my memory box. What he told me hurt so much . . . and I ran away, but the shadows kept blinding me, and I somehow ended up at the Warren on a path of broken eggshells and Baby Tooth was nowhere to be found."

". . . Then how did you get her back?" Tooth coaxed softly.

Jackie let out a deep breath. Warring emotions played their way across her face as she bit her lip: confusion, realization, reluctance.

"I gave Pitch my staff," she finally blurted out, nervously twisting her fingers.

_"What?!"_ Bunny exploded, and the sleigh wobbled as North startled.

"I gave Pitch my staff," Jackie repeated hastily, flushing at his reaction. "It was the only way to get her back."

"But Jackie—" Tooth said at the same time Bunny demanded, "When was this?"

Jackie's blue eyes darted from each Guardian, and Bunny recognized that look. It was the look of a cornered child, just wanting to run away. He could see that she definitely regretted bringing this up. Her fists were clenched tightly around the fabric of her tattered brown trousers.

But Sandy placed a calming hand on her shoulder, and Jackie seemed to ease up a little. Baby Tooth chirped and fluttered over to her mother, and Tooth began to translate. "Baby Tooth offered to show her memories of what happened, but only if Jackie wants to."

Jackie considered this for a moment, then nodded.

"Wvat about me?" North asked indignantly from the front. "I cannot see the memories."

"We'll show you later," Tooth assured him, then said to the others, "Place a hand on my shoulders."

"What?" Bunny asked, confused. "Why?"

"I'm connected to all my fairies," Tooth explained patiently, stroking Baby Tooth's head. "I can channel their memories and thoughts into my head, and in turn I'll do the same to you."

"Whoa," Jackie said, looking visibly impressed. Her posture seemed a lot lighter now, after she had told her story after what happened during Easter. It must've lifted a great weight off her chest, and she looked like she was getting closer to being as happy as she was while getting Jamie's friends to believe again.

"Mmm," Tooth agreed, taking the small fairy into her palms. "Ready, guys?"

Bunny placed his paw on Tooth's arm at the same time Jackie and Sandy did. He closed his eyes, and felt a tugging at his navel — and then he was sucked into memories.

* * *

Bunny saw everything through Baby Tooth's eyes. He felt her terror, her pain, her worry, and her anger. It was like he _was_ the little fairy, but still aware of who he was.

It was strange, he decided.

But where he currently was was a dark place, drenched with the sickly sweet smell of Nightmares. Bunny wondered where he was, as he couldn't see a thing. But then . . . he heard the sounds of battle and raised voices.

"You don't understand _anything!_" a girl's voice shrieked, pain and anger clearly evident in her muffled voice.

"No?" someone else, a male, shouted back. His voice was a little bit clearer and louder than the girl's. (_It's Pitch,_ Bunny thought distastefully.) "_I _don't know what it's like to be cast out?" The sound of few blasts followed, and the girl yelled, a crackling settling around them.

"To not be believed in?" Pitch continued. Then his voice grew softer, more . . . compassionate. "To long for . . . a _family._ All those years in the shadows," he said softly, "I thought, 'No one else knows what this feels like.' But now, I see that I was wrong. We don't have to be alone, Jacqueline. _I_ believe in you, and I know children will too!"

The girl was Jackie.

"In _me?_" the winter spirit said softly, her two words so full of unwilling hope. Bunny could just imagine her staff hanging limply at her side, her guard slowly beginning to come down.

_Don't fall for it, Jackie,_ Bunny chanted in his mind . . . or were those Baby Tooth's original thoughts?

"Yes! Look at what we can do!" Pitch cried, sounding triumphant. "What goes better together than _cold_ and _dark?_ We can make them believe! We'll give them a world where everything — _everything_ is—"

Pitch was getting ahead of himself, Bunny thought grimly. The Nightmare King's straightforward plans were bound to frighten the girl.

"Pitch Black?" Jackie interrupted. Bunny could visualize those fiery blue eyes glaring right now. He felt pride well up as he knew that Jackie had seen through Pitch's ruse as well.

"And Jackie Frost, too," Pitch tried to assure her. "They'll believe in both of us."

"No," Jackie said, her tone icier. "They'll _fear_ both of us. And that's _not_ what I want. Now for the last time, leave me alone." As she kept speaking, her voice became fainter. Was she walking away?

"Very well. You want to be left alone? _Done,_" Pitch responded darkly, and Bunny frowned. Pitch had backed off _way _too quickly. Then Bunny froze as Pitch spoke his next two words.

"But first . . ."

Bunny began to squirm as a strong fist wrapped itself around him, and he squinted as he was brought into the bright white landscape. It was cold, snowy, and icy — a perfect sanctuary for a being of winter. _Were they in Antarctica?_ Bunny wondered, the first cold place popping into his head.

As his vision focused, he glimpsed a dash of blue against the white. Jackie was walking away. Bunny (or maybe it was Baby Tooth) began frantically saying, "Jackie, run away! Leave!" But it must've sounded like terrified twittering to the winter spirit.

Jackie froze for a split second, then whirled around. "Baby Tooth!" she shouted fearfully, her blue eyes widening.

But Pitch clenched Bunny's tiny body (no. He was Baby Tooth. E. Aster Bunnymund was _not _tiny) tighter as Jackie came closer. She held up her staff, glaring daggers at the Nightmare King.

"The staff, Jacqueline!" Pitch roared, looking at the weapon hungrily.

But she gripped it tighter, as if just keeping it closer would dissuade Pitch from wanting it. Bunny wondered why it was so important to her . . . she almost never let go of it, and on the rare occasions the stick was out of her hands — she refused to let anyone touch it.

"You have a bad habit of interfering," he said. "Now hand it over, and I'll let her go."

Bunny involuntarily squeaked (because it was _Baby Tooth_ who squeaked, _definitely_ not him) in fear, shaking his head. _Don't, Jackie!_

But the stupid, brave, noble girl handed over her staff without a second thought, looking resolute. Bunny saw that she had hesitated at first, but sacrificed one of the most important things in the world to her for Baby Tooth's safety.

_Why had he and the Guardians think that she had betrayed them?_ From this scene, it was proved _once again_ that it wasn't in Jackie's nature at all to abandon a friend.

And once again, Bunny was reminded of his idiocy.

When Pitch snatched the staff from Jackie's loose grip, Bunny was horrified to see that the beautiful frost designs that had decorated the staff instantly disappeared.

"All right," Jackie said, voice heavy with emotion. Her free hand was now demanding for Baby Tooth to be released. "Now let her go."

". . . No," Pitch said simply, and Jackie's eyes widened, hurt and disbelief shining in those blue irises. "You wanted to be left alone, so _be alone!"_

Bunny began to grow angry, his anger completely nullifying his fear of Pitch. Jackie had gone through so much already. She was a _good person_. She didn't deserve the way she had been treated this whole day. With rage, he sank his — er, _Baby Tooth's_ pointy little beak sank into Pitch's thumb. Pitch yelped in pain, but then threw Bunny over a ravine. And when Bunny's side made contact with the cold, hard ice, pain shot through his whole body.

"No!" Bunny heard Jackie shout from way above. Then a sickening _crack_ resounded through the cold air, Jackie's excruciating scream of agony following soon after.

Bunny glanced up in horror, wanting to make Pitch _pay _for the hurt that his closest friend had gone through just to save Baby Tooth. As he kept watching, he saw Jackie's thin body being slammed into a glacier, making her back arch in pain. Not even a moment after the spikes on the ice dug into her back, she plummeted hard and fast onto the floor of the ravine.

Pitch's cruel laugh was then heard, and Bunny's heart ached when he saw Jackie's staff dropped next to her — broken in two. _That_ was what made that awful scream rip itself from her throat . . .

Jackie struggled to move herself off the wall, but then spotted Bunny's limp body lying in the snow. "Baby Tooth!" she gasped, crawling over to her friend. Jackie cradled the fairy in her hands. "Are you all right?"

The only thing that Bunny could think was how loyal and caring the winter spirit was, ignoring her own pain just to make sure that her friend was okay.

Then Jackie jumped as Bunny stirred, then sneezed. He looked at Jackie apologetically. _It's not your fault I'm feeling cold._

Jackie sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry. All I can do is keep you cold." She shifted herself around to go on her knees. "Pitch was right," Jackie said bitterly. "I make a mess of everything."

Bunny had been hugging himself for warmth, but at those words — he hopped out of Jackie's hands and into her hoodie pocket. The little fairy (because he was looking through Baby Tooth's eyes) had a plan.

Jackie _wasn't_ worthless! She was strong, brave, and possibly the most selfless person in the world. Bunny mentally took back all the times he had called her selfish. Because she wasn't that at all.

Then a thought from Baby Tooth bubbled up in his mind: _Maybe looking at her memories would help . . . _

* * *

The four Guardians blinked as they suddenly found themselves back in the sleigh, the lights of the Pole now in view.

Bunny stared sadly at Jackie, who was determinedly looking anywhere _but_ at them. "Snowflake . . ." he whispered. She had been so strong, even when they had abandoned her. Bunny then thought about how much loneliness the girl had gone through to easily bounce back like that. She had suffered through so much, so that feeling pain and hurt was almost second-nature to her.

"I know what you're going to say," Jackie said, looking at her hands. "'How could I have done this?' But I _needed_ Baby Tooth to be safe, and giving Pitch my staff seemed to be the only way. And I managed to fix it, so it's okay!" she added hastily, waving the mended stick in front of them.

Tooth was the first to envelop the newest Guardian in a warm hug, effectively cutting off Jackie's nervous ramblings.

"We know that what we did was . . . unacceptable," she said softly, "but we want to make it up to you. More than you know. We really _care_ for you, Jackie, and as I was watching those memories — I was heartbroken, knowing that it was _us_ who sent you away. You're _family_, and family sticks together. We don't want you to feel any more hurt."

Jackie raised her head as Tooth was speaking, her blue eyes suspiciously shiny. Then she hugged her back tightly, burying her head into Tooth's feathery shoulder. "Thank you . . ." she breathed. "Thank you, thank you, _thank_ you . . ."

Bunny's gaze then flickered to Sandy, whose anger was beginning to fade. The oldest Guardian looked more sad than angry now. Maybe he had been thinking along the same lines Bunny was.

Jackie was still technically a child. Though she was about three hundred years old (young by immortal standards but old when compared to a human), she was stuck at the physical age of seventeen — an age where she was still trying to figure out her place in the world. And her mind was still growing, trying to adapt to everything life threw at her, and it was a lot. Jackie could've easily been the youngest immortal, and no one was there to guide her.

The sleigh shuddered as it landed back at the Pole, jarring its occupants. Tooth and Jackie pulled away, the latter hastily bending down to pick up her staff and surreptitiously (though Bunny noticed) swiping her face with her sleeves.

"Now that this angst-fest is over," Jackie said brightly, her face showing no evidence that there had been tears on her face at all, "isn't there supposed to be a party?"

Bunny laughed inwardly as Tooth gently rubbed Jackie's back. Leave it to the Guardian of Fun to try to cheer everyone up even though she herself was feeling down.

And that's _exactly_ what made Jacqueline Frost so special inside. She put others before herself.

* * *

Jackie and the other Guardians assisted the yetis in cleaning up the workshop. It was a _huge_ mess after Pitch had swept through it, according to North, and even though the yetis had been tidying for about a day, the stench of Nightmares still invaded the area.

Well, until Sandy sent out streams of dreamsand to counteract them. After that, only the clean, fresh smell of newly fallen snow remained.

After everything was straightened up, Jackie went to go find Phil to make sure he was okay. She kept wandering the workshop, freezing the occasional elf, trying to locate the elusive yeti. Jackie then found herself in the room that she wasn't supposed to have at the Pole, though she doubted that North would have any disagreements with the arrangements. And that's where Phil was.

"Hey, big guy!" she called cheerily, tapping him on the shoulder.

Phil mumbled something under his breath as he continued dusting away. Jackie smiled and placed a hand on her hip, sighing. The yeti honestly worked too much sometimes.

"You need a rest," Jackie announced, poking at his side.

Phil grumbled, ignoring her.

"We're having a party, and everyone else is too busy to prepare food . . . I guess I'll have to do it myself!" she sang, skipping to the door.

Then she prepared a mental countdown: _3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . ._

Phil appeared next to her, rolling his eyes and his feather duster nowhere to be seen.

"Thanks, Phil!"

* * *

Bunny was sitting down, absently painting another egg for Sophie, only vaguely aware of Tooth's worried cries.

"I can't find her anywhere!" she fretted, fluttering around the room.

Bunny lazily looked up. "Who?"

"Jackie!"

"Oh. Um, I saw her somewhere over there earlier," Bunny said unconcernedly. Jackie should be fine. She was just in the kitchen —

Bunny jolted upright, the egg he was painting tumbling to the rug. Jackie was _in the kitchen__._ If she was still the same girl that he had befriended three hundred years ago, then she should never _ever_ be allowed in such a place!

Jackie was a terrible cook . . .

"Tooth, let's go!" he commanded, sprinting away. "She's in the _kitchen.__"_

But a yeti blocked their paths, warbling something in Yetish that Bunny couldn't understand.

"Sorry, mate," Bunny said, trying to get past the yeti, "we're just trying to prevent a disaster before it can happen."

But Tooth had been nodding, an amused smile on her face. "Bunny, it's fine. She's just preparing the feast for tonight with Phil's help."

Bunny glanced to his side. "What?"

Tooth's smile grew. "Jackie's okay. I know that you remembered something from before, but Jackie's changed. She's not the same person you once knew. She probably became stronger and more independent. And I don't doubt that she picked up a few skills . . . along the way . . ."

Tooth's voice trailed off as she realized what she had just been saying.

"We're terrible people," she whispered, slowly flying back to where she and Bunny had been earlier. "We knew she existed, but never gave her a second thought. We just assumed that she was fine and had some people to care for her, but we were wrong." She turned back to stare at Bunny, anguished tears brimming in her amethyst eyes. "We were _wrong_, Aster. We hurt Jackie _so much.__"_

"We were," Bunny agreed sadly. The yeti who had informed them about Jackie whereabouts was long gone, and Sandy was out doing his rounds while North had begun some more preparations for Christmas. "But hopefully we can start over now that Jackie's with us." He had echoed the newest Guardian's words to Tooth.

_A new start. A new beginning. New life_ _. . . _because that was what Easter was all about.

Tooth cracked a small grin, wiping away any residual tears. "Yeah."

And then they could all become a real family — even better than before! — one who loved her, and one that she trusted.

* * *

"Tonight," North rumbled, holding up his glass, "we celebrate Jacqueline Frost, our newest Guardian!"

Jackie blushed slightly under the attention, and from the enthusiastic round of applause from the yetis, elves, and the other Guardians. For a girl who was unseen for three hundred years until a few hours ago, all of the appreciative and admiring gazes made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Thanks," she mumbled, giving a small smile. "But you guys helped defeat Pitch, too. It wasn't just me."

"Aw, but ya _saved_ us, mate," Bunny said, elbowing her good-naturedly. "We woulda given up and faded if you hadn't gotten Jamie Bennett ta believe in all of us again."

"Bunny's right, Jackie," Tooth chimed in. "Just accept the compliments and eat the food you and Phil made."

"Oh, all right, then," Jackie relented, giving an amused chuckle.

Sandy then raised up his glass of eggnog and gave a huge grin, a snowflake forming above his head. _To Jackie!_

"To Jackie!" Tooth and North cried exuberantly.

"To never giving up hope and belief!" Bunny said, lifting up his own glass.

Jackie was filled with so much joy. This was wonderful. Then she said what she wanted to say ever since she rose out of the pond that fateful night three hundred years ago:

"_To family!"_

The others cheered and clinked their glasses, shouting a new cry. "To family!"

"And may it never be broken again," North said, giving each of them an appraising look.

Tears began to slide down Jackie's cheeks. She laughed softly. "Never," she agreed, smiling through the tears and wiping them away on her sleeves.

And when the droplets touched her arms, they were absorbed into the blue fabric, forming into familiar frosted ferns.

_Fin_

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, just the epilogue left! I hope this chapter wasn't too weird for you all. ^o^

Oh, and has anyone figured out the relationship between all the quotes at the top of each chapter? There's one main theme connecting all of them.

See you later, lovelies! :3


	13. Epilogue: Emma

**A/N: **Heeey everyone! :) Welcome to the last chapter of _Frosted Ferns._ I've actually had this chapter written down before I even finished writing the whole story, and now I'm really excited that I get to post this. I'm also actually pretty sad to see the whole thing go, but I'm happy that I managed to finish something with a few original works slipped between movie chapters. I suck so much at plot . . . I need to figure out how to do it. -.-

You have _no _idea how much courage it took me to click the button to update.

And did no one really figure out the relationship between all the quotes? I thought it would be a bit obvious, haha. The quote in this chapter doesn't have any type of link to the others, by the way. :p

All my heartfelt thanks waits for you at the bottom. I love you guys.

* * *

"I think it's important to have closure in any relationship that ends — from a romantic relationship to a friendship. You should always have a sense of clarity at the end and know why it began and why it ended. You need that in your life to move cleanly into your next phase."

— Jennifer Aniston

* * *

**Epilogue: Emma**

* * *

"Your assignment will be to research your family trees. Projects will be due in one week, on February sixth," the teacher chirped brightly. "They must include PowerPoint or a Prezi, and you can bring in some family artifacts to go along with your presentation."

Jamie grinned as the teacher rattled off some more expectations with the project, like how their ancestors came to the United States, along with any traditions they might have.

As far as Jamie knew, his family had been here in Burgess forever. This was the perfect excuse to go searching for some more legends and myths that could go along with his ever-growing journal.

The bell then rang, signaling the end of the day. "Okay, guys, go pack up," the teacher said, even as everyone began gathering their books.

At their lockers, Jamie could hear Pippa and Cupcake animatedly talking about whatever they knew about their family trees, and Claude and Caleb bemoaning the fact that they were given a project. Monty was just quietly observing the two groups, clearly wondering which side he should take.

Jamie knew that _he_ was excited, though. And his excitement grew even more as he walked out the doors of Burgess Middle School with his friends and was met with light snow flurries.

"Jackie's here!" Jamie yelled, eagerly running down the front steps. On the last step, though, he tripped and would've fallen flat on his face if it weren't for a pair of cold hands gripping his waist.

"Hey, slow down, kiddo," an amused-sounding female voice chuckled. "Don't wanna hurt yourself."

Jamie laughed sheepishly as the girl he had begun to view as an older sister set him gently back down. "Thanks, Jackie."

The Guardian of Fun was looking like she was trying not to crack up, her blue eyes sparkling with laughter. Her ever-present staff was at her side, glittering from the sun reflecting off of the ice coating it.

"Anytime," said Guardian replied with a grin, reaching over to ruffle his brown hair.

"Jackie Frost!" Pippa said in wonder. "You going to give us a snow day soon?"

The Guardian smiled, ceasing her "torment" of Jamie's hair. "Nah, not yet. Mother Nature hasn't called for any big storms in this area anytime soon."

"Enough to give us something to play in?" Claude and Caleb wheedled.

Jackie seemed to contemplate this as she leaned on her staff. Then she sighed. "Oh, fine. Expect about a foot on Friday, okay?"

"Yes!" they all cheered.

Jackie smiled wryly. "You kids are going to be the death of me . . ." she muttered, absently twirling her staff.

"Walk home with us, Jackie?" Jamie pleaded.

She winked. "Was planning to do that anyway!" Then she walked a few paces ahead. "So what's this about a family tree project I keep hearing about?" Jackie called over her shoulder.

Jamie and his friends scrambled to catch up with the white-haired girl. "Oh, it's gonna be so cool –" Pippa started, but Caleb interrupted.

"You're _excited_ for a _project?_" he asked incredulously, while his twin stared at her like she'd just grown another head. "Are you kidding me?"

The taller girl crossed her arms and scowled. "Hey, I just think it's going to be interesting for once! It's not every day you get to learn about your family history."

Before Caleb could retort, Jamie intervened. "I think it's kinda cool . . ." he chipped in.

Pippa smiled. "_Thank_ you, Jamie. At least _someone_ gets my drift."

Jackie laughed. "I think that project might be pretty fun, too. I'd do anything to be able to learn about _my_ family."

The conversation coasted away from the topic of projects, and pretty soon, Caleb and Pippa were speaking normally to each other as if the previous argument had never happened. Jamie still couldn't take his mind off of Jackie's last words, though.

But to save the Guardian of Fun any embarrassment or stress, Jamie didn't ask Jackie on the subject until everyone was at his or her respective homes. When the two went into Jamie's room, he burst from his curiosity. "You had a family?" he asked – well, more like demanded as he set his bookbag next to his desk.

Jackie set her staff next to the window and sat down on Jamie's bed. "Yup," she said simply, popping the "p."

Jamie sat down on his spinny chair and leaned his chin on the backrest, looking at her with irritation. There had to be more than _that._

Jackie's blue eyes brightened mischievously, seeing his dissatisfaction. "Let's see what you can find first. _Then_ I'll tell you everything."

"Jaaaackiiee . . ." Jamie whined.

"Jaaamiiieee . . ." she mimicked, her expression showing no signs of backing down. Then she became serious. "I promise I'll tell you, but I'm pretty interested in your history, too. I've been around for a_long_ time. I'm pretty sure I can give you some information about your family. Maybe I've seen them before—who knows?"

Jamie pouted, but he knew that he couldn't get anything out of the winter spirit even if he'd begged as hard as he could. He'd learned that a few months ago, when he tried to pry information from her about his birthday present . . . which turned out to be the journal that he now used to record all of the stories Jackie had told him about the legendary figures around the world.

Jackie had already written stuff in it, her neat, loopy handwriting filling up at least thirty pages of the tiny-looking book. "Just in case I can't tell you all the stories that I know," she told him, when he had flipped through the cream-colored pages. But when Jamie had glanced worriedly at the few sheets left, she had assured him that the book was enchanted so that the sheets would never run out, and would automatically add more pages in between each story just in case some additional information was needed to be written down.

"Stay here while I get my mom's laptop," he instructed, hopping out of his chair.

Jackie gave a firm salute. "Aye, aye," she said cheerfully.

Jamie half-shut the door and made his way downstairs. "Mom, I need the computer!" he called, hearing her bustling around in the kitchen.

"What for?" she called back.

"For a family tree project!" he yelled, going into the office to search for it. Once he found it, he announced as he was going back up the steps, "I'll tell you if I need you!"

"Uh-huh."

When Jamie opened the door, he found Jackie flipping through a photo album. "Hey, Jamie," she said, waving a hand lazily.

"I thought I told you to stay here," he complained, though there was no real bite in his tone.

"Well, _I_ thought that you might want this," the winter girl shot back, hefting the heavy-looking album off her lap. "It was in your parents' room. It has all the pictures of your ancestors, from what I could tell."

Jamie set the laptop on his desk and made his way to the bed. "So how far back does my family go?" he wondered, ignoring the fact that his best friend had broken into his parents' room.

Jackie shrugged. "I dunno," she said bluntly.

"I thought you were going through it!"

"I decided to start at the end, because I thought it'd be more fun that way," Jackie said matter-of-factly. "And also, I wanted to see pictures of li'l baby Jamie," she teased.

Jamie could feel his face heat up. "I'm going to start at the beginning," he muttered, snatching the book out of Jackie's hands. He sat down next to her, the winter spirit's natural chill seeping through his thick sweater.

There were a few portraits tucked into the pages of the album, but Jamie didn't pay much attention to them. It was when he stumbled upon a newspaper clipping from 1712 when he became interested. "'Seventeen-year-old girl falls into lake,'" he read aloud. He glanced over at Jackie to see if she might be interested in this, but she was sound asleep, unconsciously making frost snake along his bed sheets.

_She must really be tired after that storm that she put down . . ._

Jamie sighed, but turned on the laptop to see if he could find any more information about this newspaper clipping. It sounded quite similar to a Burgess legend that he'd read and copied down in the library a couple weeks ago . . .

**BURGESS'S ETERNALLY FROZEN POND** jumped out from the Google Search. Jamie clicked on the web link and was astounded at the story.

**Rumor has it that there's something fishy about Burgess, and it's the pond that rests in the town! Tests on the pond show that it's been frozen solid for three hundred years, with no signs of ever melting. Scientists have been puzzling over this strange phenomenon for decades, but they haven't come close to discovering why.**

**THE LEGEND**

**There's been numerous tales about the reasons behind the pond, but this one seems to be the most popular. Three hundred years ago, an unknown girl fell through the ice covering the pond. And ever since then, it's been frozen solid. The legends say that she watches over that lake, preventing any other people from falling through it.**

"What was the girl's name?" Jamie mumbled, flipping to the next page in the photo album. The page held a portrait of four people, a man and a woman, and two girls at their feet.

_The artist who drew this was really good,_ Jamie found himself thinking. The expression on the oldest girl was extremely lifelike. Her brown eyes seemed to be sparkling with mischief, and her arms were wrapped around the girl in her lap. It was clear that they cared for each other.

Jamie glanced down to the words under the drawing: _February 1704, The Overland Family – Jackson, Emeline, Jacqueline, and Emma._

_"We'll always remember you, Papa, and Jackie"_ was written under the neat cursive in a childlike scrawl. The last two words were in a different handwriting. Jamie assumed that there was a period after the word "Papa" and the writer simply changed it to a comma. Did this mean that two people of this family died?

But Jamie shrugged it off, finding it interesting that Jacqueline Overland had the same name as Jackie . . . and that they looked so much alike, though Jacqueline looked about ten years old in this portrait.

_Jackie has white hair and blue eyes, though,_ he reminded himself. _And her last name's "Frost," not "Overland."_

Jamie reexamined the clipping that was in the album. "'A terrible tragedy has struck Burgess,'" Jamie read aloud, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

**A much-beloved member of our town has passed away. On December fourteenth, Jacqueline Overland, age seventeen, fell through the ice covering Burgess Pond. According to her tearful sister, Jacqueline died saving her. "Jackie told me that I'd be okay! But she never talked about herself . . ." cried the eight-year-old Emma.**

**Jacqueline was also loved by the other children in the village. "I'll miss the way she made me laugh when I was sad," Mary Hughes said, tears also present in her eyes.**

**"She will be greatly missed," said Emeline Overland before gently closing the door of her house.**

**It seems like just yesterday that Burgess was mourning the loss of Jackson Overland due to influenza. The two members of that family contributed much to the town. Their bright spirits will both be shining in the stars.**

**Jacqueline is survived by her mother and her sister.**

Jamie examined the family tree listed in the back of the album. He found _Emma Marie Overland_ connected with the name _Seth Aaron Bennett_ near the top, and his name at the bottom. He traced the line from Emma's name to his and was surprised to discover that he was a direct descendent from the sister of the "Guardian of Burgess," or Jacqueline Cornelia Overland.

"Hey, Jackie, look at this," Jamie said, shaking the sleeping spirit's shoulder. But she didn't stir. "Jackie," he repeated, louder this time. "_Jackie!_"

At this, ice-blue eyes shot open. "Huh? Whuzzat?" she said groggily.

"I found something cool about my family history," Jamie told her, pointing at Emma Overland's name. "I'm related to the 'Guardian of Burgess.'"

"Who's that?" Jackie said, her eyes still dazed with sleep.

Jamie glanced back at the newspaper clipping. "Um, some girl who fell through the lake three hundred years ago. She was one of my ancestor's sisters! Isn't that cool?" he asked excitedly, looking at his best friend.

At his words, Jackie seemed to get even paler than she already was. "You're related to Emma?" she said in a strangled voice.

Jamie was a bit confused by his friend's reaction. "Yeah . . . why?"

The blankets began to get covered with a thicker layer of frost as Jackie struggled to control her breathing. "It's . . . it's just that—" Jackie swallowed, then gingerly picked up the portrait of the Overland family. "That's my sister," she said quietly, pointing at the chubby, smiling infant in Jacqueline's lap.

It took a while for that information to sink in. Then Jamie exploded. "That's your _sister?_" he yelped, flinging his arms out and accidentally whacking Jackie in the face. "Oops, sorry," he said quickly before plowing on.

"S'fine," she mumbled, rubbing her nose.

"So if that's your sister, then _you're the girl who fell through the pond!_ You're the one who keeps the pond frozen all the time!" Jamie realized.

Jackie nodded, still clutching the picture of her family. "I actually thought you'd be more excited to know that I'm your great-great-great-great-something aunt," she said dryly.

Jamie's eyes bugged out at this information. "I'M RELATED TO JACKIE FROST!" he yelled. "I'm related to a Guardian!"

Jackie laughed. "And so is Sophie," she reminded him. "Wait 'til Bunny finds out," she said with a gleeful smile.

This was the last straw for Jamie. He fell off the bed and started laughing.

* * *

Jackie left when Jamie's mom called him down to dinner. "I'll come by again soon," she promised, as she hovered outside his window. "Don't forget, I still owe you guys a snow day on Friday."

Jamie, Sophie, and their mother sat at the table. "Bless Daddy on his trip to California," Sophie said solemnly, after they said grace.

"Bless Daddy," their mother agreed before asking Jamie, "So what did you find out about our family?"

"Oh," he replied, stabbing a carrot with his fork, "a lot of things."

"Like?" she prompted.

"The legend about Burgess's pond," he listed, "and that we're related to the girl who fell in it." _And that I'm related to the Guardian known as Jack Frost, _he added silently.

"That's cool," his mother said, spooning some peas onto Sophie's plate.

"It is," Jamie agreed.

And when he got back upstairs, Jamie grabbed the journal from its position on his bedside table. Pulling the Always Sharpened Pencil (the writing utensil that had been part of his birthday present) from the holder on the book, he began to write . . .

_Jack Frost has been around for a long time. And no, she's not a guy, and she definitely does not nip at noses (though she does threaten to tickle me every once in a while . . .). Her name is Jacqueline "Jackie" Overland Frost, also known as my aunt, sister, and best friend. :)_

_Oh yeah, forgot to mention this—she's also part of the Guardians of Childhood, which consist of Nicholas St. North (Santa Claus), E. Aster Bunnymund (the Easter Bunny), Toothiana (the Tooth Fairy) and Sanderson Mansnoozie (the Sandman). They work together to protect the children of the world._

Jamie wrote on for about half an hour, before concluding:

_I believe in the Guardians, because believing . . . is seeing._

* * *

Jackie smiled softly as she left Jamie's house and flew to her pond. "So you're still here after all this time, Emma?" she asked as she spread another layer of frost over the already-present ice.

When she finished, Jackie landed lightly on the frozen surface, iced branches spiraling out from her touch. She stood directly in the center of the pond, the same spot she fell in three hundred years ago. She looked up into the night sky, at the full moon. Its light bathed her in its brilliance.

Jackie closed her eyes—blue eyes that used to be a warm brown. "Thank you," she whispered into the stillness. Who she was thanking, Jackie didn't know. All that mattered was that Emma's family lived on because of her, and that Jacqueline Cornelia (and she laughed silently at the absurdity of it—was that seriously her middle name?) Overland Frost would guard and watch over each passing generation until the end of time.

Snow blanketed the streets of Burgess that night.

* * *

**A/N: **And that's it! We're done. ^w^

Wow, I seriously can_not_ believe I managed to complete something . . . I'm so scatterbrained I'm surprised I made it to the end. But I couldn't have done it without all of you amazing people's support and belief in me and this story. I love you guys, and I can't get over how amazing you all are. :')

And it's funny because I originally just posted this thinking that it would be nice to write something _Rise of the Guardians_-related, since I recently got into the fandom late May. I have my Spanish teacher to thank for showing my class the movie during the end of the year last year. This movie is now one of my top three, with _How to Train Your Dragon _(both of them!) on the list. _¡Muchas gracias, Señora! Me encanta la película. _:)

And by the way, check out my new "story," _In Separate Stars,_ which is a collection of one-shots about Jack (yes, he's male in this one :3) and the Guardians. Requests are _always _welcome, and I hope to see some of you there! ;)


	14. AN: REWRITE COMING SOON

**A/N: **Hello, my lovely readers! If anyone's seen my "updated" first chapter, then you'll know that I was planning to just edit this story outright.

That was indeed my plan!

. . . At least, until I actually _began _rewriting Chapter 1 and felt like I needed to add more things. And split things up. Along with other miscellaneous things.

Um.

Yes.

But I realized that this story would get super messy, _super _quickly, and I thought it would be easier for me and everyone to just read a fresh set of words. I also felt that _Frosted Ferns_ deserved much more than what I had originally given it, don't you think?

But don't worry, the plotline won't really be changed at all; I'll just add more details, improve my younger self's writing, and get rid of that awkward romance I was trying to hint at.

(what was i thinking.)

Anyway, I'll keep the original story up just in case people wanted a reference (though I don't know if anyone wants to read this monstrosity anymore), but the new and improved story will be up shortly, I promise!

If you're even the slightest bit interested, place me on your author alerts and you'll be the first to know when the new and improved version gets posted. I'll also place a notice in the next chapter once it's up.

So I hope that you're willing to give me another shot, and come back to read something (fingers crossed) better than what's in the previous 13 chapters. :)

Thank you!


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